Regardless of what most success and business books and magazines say, the most important thing you can do is to set goals that make you better. Goals-based on acquiring a better job, higher sales numbers, and faster, slicker cars have their place–but I am suggesting setting goals to be more in life–not to have more. Everyone was created with particular inner gifts and talents. Our only job in life is to evolve ourselves. We are put on earth equipped with everything within us to live a fabulous life.
Madison Avenue would have us think that a fabulous life looks like flash, glitz, busyness–you get the picture–anything that they can sell to you. But, I submit that you can have a fabulous life by being as you were created to be. Capitalism makes us think that we only deserve to have a good life if we play the capitalistic game. Many, if not most people, choose their educational path based on their earning capacity. Whatever happened to learning for the joy of it and personal enrichment? And, how many kids are trying to play sports with the goal in mind of being a “star?” What happened to the love of the sport and learning about teamwork and interdependence?
Setting goals to enhance your life can be very exciting and inspiring. How about running a marathon? Learning a foreign language or playing an instrument–not to make a living, but for making a life! I love what E. V. Ingraham says, in his book Wells of Abundance, “When working men and women realize that work is to express and develop skill, there will be no drudgery in their labors,” I think the same is true for setting goals. Goals can be a way of enhancing your inherent gifts and talents and expanding your horizons.
Aside from the fact that you fuel your action from your passions and interests, there is no sense of competition. It’s not about beating someone else out for a position, no motive of jealousy, or the need for agreement from others–it is something that you do for yourself–for your own personal growth. I promise you, the more you love Life, the more Life will love you. And how does life love you? Life loves you like health, joy, peace, passion, great relationships, and prosperity. Loving Life makes you more attractive–your attention is attracted to more Life. Life is an expansive process–trust the process. Go for it! Set great goals that inspire you. Set goals for every area of your life–health, relationship, intellectual, family, and spiritual. Take an inventory of your life and set goals that stretch you and make you have a new appreciation for yourself. Achieving goals builds confidence and faith. Confidence in yourself and faith in God.
Set contextual goals–like being more loving, kinder, or more forgiving. As you begin to express yourself more expansively, you will be guided to the fulfillment of your higher Self–your God Self. At the end of the day, how do you want the people who you love to remember you?