Goals and Growth

January 1st of every year is typically the time many of us set new goals. However, last September, I was inspired to set three goals for myself to be achieved in one year. The first and second months I was going full steam ahead but by month three, my enthusiasm had faded a bit. Not because these goals were no longer important but because of other life issues that took priority over my goals. Excuses, excuses.  Now is the time to get back on track, though I will not bore you by restating them.  Time to forge ahead, once again.

An interesting idea Hal Elrod makes in his book The Miracle Equation is that setting and achieving a goal is important, of course, but the most significant lesson for him was taught by Jim Rohn; to paraphrase: The purpose of setting a goal is not to hit the goal. The real purpose of setting a goal is to develop yourself into the type of person who can achieve your goals, regardless of whether you hit any particular one or not. It is who you become by giving it everything you have - regardless of your results - that enables you to develop the mindset and behaviors that will help you achieve bigger and bigger goals for the rest of your life.

Now, granted, most of us have set and achieved many goals by this point in our lives and have learned a good number of lessons in that process, but in order to keep our brains and bodies as vital as possible as we age, I believe that goal setting has a place in our lives at any age.

Setting goals gives us a target, a purpose - that helps us focus our energy into something that is worth achieving. In addition, as we strive to achieve our goals we will make mistakes - and this is not to be feared.  Quite the opposite. Making mistakes means we are trying something new, learning, pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones, taking chances on a venture where there is no guarantee for success.  How exciting!  This is how to live life - set goals that stretch us and continue to help us grow. To 2020 - a year of growth, fun and adventure for all of us.

xo