In The Power that’s Ours Magic asks Jina what her interpretation of a goal is. Her response is,”when a football player kicks a soccer ball into the net.”

That, for some, is the obvious choice. But the other option is goals that are related to us on a more personal level.

 

Knowingly or unknowingly we all set goals constantly. It might be a daily “to do” list which could include;

• picking up the kids from school,
• getting the shopping done,
• cleaning out the garden shed, or
• catching the “final” of the game we recorded on TV.

or  the “big” life altering goals like;

• starting a new business,
• buying a house,
• a planned overseas vacation or
• losing a bit of weight.

Sometimes we just think about the goals and sometimes (recommended) we write them down and plan for them.

This post is not about reaching the destination or  the feeling we experience when we achieve a goal but rather why pursuing goals is important, the journey, and it’s benefits.When we set goals – whether big or small – and actively pursue them, we learn about ourselves along the way. We get to understand;

• our strengths,
• our weaknesses and
• all the in-betweens.

If we take notice of this we will get a clearer understanding of how we operate, when we’re most productive, and why it’s OK to step back.

From my journey of independently publishing my first book – (a really big goal I set after my publisher went out of business) I learnt the following about myself;

• I need a cup of coffee in the morning. (Yip I’m addicted)
• I need to be at my desk and operating by 9am (A bit OCD that way)
• The majority of my work; writing and marketing, gets done between 9am and lunch time. (1pm)
• I need to work in silence, no background music, TV or podcasts.
• I try to set up meetings for the afternoon – away from my computer.
• I don’t have many breaks, if any, during the morning – as that’s when I’m really focused and motivated.
• Initially I wasn’t good at saying “no” so would always take up the offer of meeting a friend for coffee. This is now gauged on an individual basis – depending on timelines etc.
• I can follow a daily “to do” list – but not great at planning a weekly list.
• Initially I was quite negatively effected by a setback or a negative response – this I would allow to effect the rest of my day. (This changed over time)
• I can’t eat a heavy lunch if I want to  continue in the afternoon. Soups or salads work best for me.
• My afternoon is spent, reading, researching and surfing the net – with no writing. It includes  lots of breaks.
• Around 3pm I’m done – no more! (Initially I had a problem with this and tried to persevere – only to have to redo the work)
• In the afternoon I need to exercise outdoors to clear my head – best is walking, swimming. I’m not a good morning exerciser.
• After dinner I can check emails  and plan the next day – for about an hour.
• After dark my energy  depletes quickly.

The above is a list about what I learnt about myself.  But our goals should be unique to us as individuals; just as the way we pursue them should be. Advice can be given and taken on board but ultimately our path of pursuing goals which can lead to a better self- understanding is as important as reaching the destination.