What are Goals?
Seems like we should already know what Goals are, right? Well, for the most part, I think that’s true. Most of us are going to agree that a Goal is a specific thing, an event or a circumstance that we desire to bring about in our lives at some future date.
You can call that a Goal or an objective or a fantasy. Yes, a fantasy. Why a fantasy? Because a Goal that is not tied to a specific Vision you have for your live and isn’t supported by specific Values that you have isn’t really a Goal in my opinion. Our Success is built on a foundation or hierarchy of concepts. I call that a Success Hierarchy. That begins with Values. Next comes the Vision for our lives based on those Values. Next is our Mission which is the vehicle that gets us to that Vision. Finally comes the Goals which are the major check points and milestones that measure our progress toward our Vision.
Any Goal that isn’t tied into this hierarchy is not worth your time. It’s not worth it for one or more of these reasons:
- You don’t really believe in it.
- You don’t really desire it.
- You don’t really own the Goal.
- You don’t really have a vested interest in achieving the Goal.
- You don’t really care about the Goal.
Goals that aren’t tied to this Success Hierarchy might be nice to do. They might even be fun to do. But they probably aren’t moving you closer to your Vision. They may violate your Values in some way. They might be Goals that are imposed upon you by a boss or possibly a spouse.
A Goal must move your forward. It must be supported by and support your Values. It must be something you’re passionate about and truly believe in.
If it doesn’t, it’s not a Goal. it’s a distraction at best, a fantasy or a wish.