A goal/dream that’s not backed by purpose, will soon fade into the obscurity. The art of prioritisation is great, but it alone will only get you so far.
Remember that “I’ll get fit” goal you set on the 1st of January? Didn’t go so well right? It’s okay, there’s no shame here – I’ve personally set the same goal 10 times and it went really well for about 2 months…
Why Do we Fail to Achieve These Goals so Often?
They are simply goals without purpose. A goal is a meaningless phrase on a page if it isn’t backed by a real sense of purpose.
Now, what do I mean by purpose? For some, this is a spiritual question, for other’s it’s a matter of bringing meaning to one’s life. Answering, the existential question of “why am I on this earth?”. Does this mean that ever goal you set must be spoken to you from the mouth by God? Of course not.
It does mean that your goals must have a higher purpose than themselves.
Practically, this could look like a meeting with your doctor where you’re informed that you’ve got 3 months to live, unless, you change your diet and start exercising. The likelihood of achieving the “I’ll get fit goal” would soar.
How do you get Purpose behind your goals?
Put simply, we’ve got to set the right goals and focus on the real reason behind those goals.
1. Set the Right Goals
If you set goals that align with your already deeply held beliefs, you’re much more likely so succeed. I’m not talking about surface level beliefs here, or beliefs that you “hold” because society says you’ve got to. Nor do they necessarily have to be meaning-of-life-type beliefs, though they can be.
Say you believe deeply that one should provide for themselves and not be a burden on society. If you do, you’ve probably always had a job. You also likely get annoyed about paying taxes, which go towards paying benefits to people who’ve no excuse not to work.
You believe this so deeply, that you’ve needed to set a goal to “get a job” you just do it. If you lost your job, you’d do everything you could to get a new one. This belief sits so deep within you that if fuels your actions without conscious thought.
This same fuel will accelerate your goals if your goals align with you deeply held beliefs.
But what if the goal itself doesn’t align with your deeply held beliefs?
Stop: Review Your Motives Before You Proceed.
Firstly, I’d say it’s time review the goal, to ensure that it’s really your goal or is it someone else’s goal. If it is someone else’s goal, think hard about why you’re setting it as a goal – should you scrap it altogether? Only you can answer that altogether.
If the goal is someone else’s goal goal that you’d like to achieve, (e.g. a spouse is concerned about your health), then read on, if not skip to the next paragraph. The first step is to decide to make it your own. This might sound unimportant, but it’s a powerful mental shift. How? Simply start calling it your goal when you talk about it. It will feel strange when you start but quickly it will sink in and become your goal.
2. How to Add Purpose to a Seemingly Purposeless Goal
The likelihood of achieving a goal soars when it’s backed with powerful and deep-rooted belief or desire. So to add a little purpose to a goal that appears to have none, we’ve got to look deeper into the reason of why we set the goal.
Let’s go back to the “let’s get fit” goal we mentioned earlier, and consider why we set it. If was inspired (read: mandated) by a spouse, then the purpose may be love, you’ll attack this goal whole-heartedly because you love your spouse. Perhaps, you set it yourself, then why not couple it with the future you wish to have; running on a beach playing with your children.
Mix Purpose into Your Goals
Do this, and you’ve got a winning scenario. It won’t always go completely to plan, and that’s what the dose of purpose is for, it’ll help you bounce right back up.
I truly hope that this will help you as much as it has helped me throughout the years. If you’re ready to take your goals to the next level join me and many others in https://rodneycowled.com/story-behind-project-120/Project 120.
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