Loads
Of Goals But No Place To Go
by Asoka Selvarajah, Ph.D
All the personal growth literature tells us we should have goals to work
on, affirmations to repeat, and that we should be constantly visualizing
our future each day. All well and good. So...
If that's true, then why are most people in
exactly the same place after all this personal growth stuff as they were
before they started?
The reason comes down to an overall lack of
life vision. In other words, there is no master plan for life. What is the
point of setting goals, or working on affirmations, if you have no idea
where the thrust of your life is headed in the first place? In other
words, what are you here on this Earth to do? WHY are you working towards
these goals (if you have any)?
Most people do not have any answers to
these basic questions. Ask a small child, and you're quite likely to get
an answer to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow
up?". However, if you ask an adult a similar question, such as,
"Where would you like to be in 10 years time, and what would you like
to be doing?", you are likely to be greeted by silence...
Aren't you?!...
So, how can we have given up on our dreams
to this extent? Part of the answer lies in childhood. Whether at school or
at home, the need to be "realistic" and "stop
daydreaming" was hammered into each of us again and again. So
effective was this mental conditioning that most of can no longer figure
out WHY we have no idea what our dreams are! We have been so conditioned
from the outside, and have compromised so often on the inside, that there
is no dreaming power left. That which is nurtured grows. That which is
neglected withers and dies.
Instead, we find ourselves in a place we
never planned to be in. Most of us simply drifted there, without plan or
design. Then, from that position, we try to create goals and dreams that
the critical mind regards as "appropriate" or
"possible". However, because these goals are not true to our
hearts, they do not motivate us, or fill us with any passion to achieve
them.
Goals, and all the rest of it, do no good
if you have nowhere specific you are heading to. You really need to get
your head above day-to-day concerns to determine what the whole point of
your goals is.
Michael Gerber, author of "The
E-Myth" describes a similar situation in the world of business. It
seems that a lot of people become business entrepreneurs, mainly from a
desire to escape the slavery of the 9 to 5 routine, and be free of the
boss. The only problem is that, whilst these people may be good
"technicians", this does not necessarily guarantee success in
their own business. Instead, many find themselves "trapped" in
their dream, to the point where they finally hate it, and realize that
this was not what they really wanted anyhow.
Look at it another way. Hollywood typically
spends over $100 million on a blockbuster movie. With these figures at
stake, directors cannot afford to mentally drift. Films made these days
are storyboarded first; drawings (or even animations), are created for
every single shot in every single scene. Everything is visualized with
crystal clarity before filming even begins. By contrast, imagine the sort
of movies we would be watching if directors went about their craft the way
we do our lives!
Without a clear vision of where we are
heading, we can be terribly active achieving goals that take us nowhere
specific. Indeed, all this activity can serve as a good excuse for not
raising our heads high enough to see where we are actually going. Or NOT
going!
So, what can you do? The answer is, develop
a vision, as clearly as possible, for what your life is about, and where
you are heading. What is your "major definite purpose", as
Napoleon Hill termed it? What are you here to do?
If you do not know the answer to this
question, this is the first goal you should set; to find out. You must
develop a mental image of your desired future, and develop it so clearly
that you can see it, smell it, taste it and touch it. Then, keep that
vision before you often each day, and use it to fuel your goal creation.
Take time to ponder your dreams. Give
yourself a regular period of time each day to do this, especially if you
have no clear vision of them at present. This process may take time and
cannot be hurried, because you are reactivating faculties that have been
long dormant. Without this clear vision, any other goals and affirmations
you develop are virtually as good as useless. Yes, they may take you
forward a bit. But in which direction, and for what purpose? Without an
overall life vision, you really have no idea.
You should ask yourself questions about all
aspects of your life. Where do you want to be financially, spiritually, in
relationships, health wise, and so on? Gradually let the vision develop as
you relax and take time to elicit it from deep within you. You may wish to
write it down as it emerges.
Try not to judge or censor. That will only
shut down the creative process. Let it be okay to think of the ridiculous,
because nothing is as ridiculous as it may seem. People have taken up
mountaineering at the age of sixty five. There was a time when Van Gogh
had to learn to draw, and he was already an adult at the time!
Hence, be gentle with yourself, but retain
the belief that much is possible if you have faith. It may takes days,
weeks or even months. However, if you make developing a life vision your
primary goal, then all others will fall into place, and you will find the
infinite inner energy with which to accomplish them.
Copyright 2003. Asoka Selvarajah. All
Rights Reserved.
___________________
Dr. Asoka Selvarajah is the author
of "The 7 Golden Secrets To Knowing Your Higher Self" course.
Asoka's work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their
understanding of mystical truth, and find joy in their true soul's
purpose. He offers you a FREE 14-Day LifeBreakthrough e-mail course at:http://www.aksworld.com
