Don’t just make goals; embrace them!

“I want to get promoted," “I want to lose weight and be fit too," “I want to get a certification by studying abroad," “I want to travel and see the world," “I want to clear off all my bank debt and be financially free," and “I want to become rich” (I know that’s a classic one, but that’s a generic fact that the mass wishes as a goal too).

Does some of these goals resonate with you? I am pretty sure that you, like myself, have many goals you wish to achieve, be they personal and/or professional. My advice, however, is don’t just make goals, for the outcome at the end of the journey may not be fulfilling. I am speaking out of experience because I have created and achieved many goals over the past 35 years, and I can confidently state that not all were really fulfilling; in fact, some were stressful and a reason for a temporary breakdown too.

Let’s take a hypothetical example. Your goal is to drive from Muscat to Suhar. All that one may possibly think about while driving is looking or focusing on the steering wheel, pressing the accelerator to get the car moving, or applying the brakes to stop the car at the right time (and some may also have their eyes on the car’s dashboard or mobile phone's Google/digital maps for direction). Yes, you will reach your destination/goal, yet is driving just focusing on those things? Obviously not! Your goal just ends there, not fulfilling and definitely not memorable. Even worse, you may end up with traffic fines, scratches in your car, and/or God forbidding unnecessary accidents. Safe driving (while feeling it) as well as finding the best way to reach your destination as a goal (via utilizing a digital map to see where there is less traffic and better direction is fulfilling). Don’t you agree? Imagine having a passenger whom you fight or quarrel with throughout the journey. Now that’s probably an ideal way to sum up my hypothetical example of a bitter goal, despite achieving it.

Let’s look at some of the practical goals that people achieve but may not be fulfilling (and are temporarily too). How many people have made new year resolutions for a change yet only to see them get back to their old habit? What about those who were on a weight loss program that only ended them getting back into their old shape after a few months of looking fit? What about those that clear their bank debts/loans and then only to end up visiting the bank to top up the loan once again? I can share numerous examples, yet I too have limitations on the words I can share in my weekly articles.

So what should one do in order to have a fulfilling goal? Quite simply: don’t just focus on the goal, yet focus on the journey too. Journey here I mean everything from the habit you follow, the process you take, the learning you get, and everything in between to ensure you gain the necessary experience and pleasure of undertaking and successfully achieving a goal. For example, look at a bodybuilder who wishes to tone up for a tournament or a self-made rich who goes broke but knows all what it takes to get back in the game. Both did not focus only on their goals but also on the journey to achieve the goals.

To conclude my article this week, I would like to emphasize that setting goals is indeed a vital part of achieving any success. Nevertheless, setting goals without also focusing on the journey can be stressful and painful too. Appreciating the journey in between you and the goal will help ensure not only you feeling fulfilled after achieving the goal, but also some kind of internal reward too (and momentum for more goals as a positive external force as well). Try doing this next time you set a goal, and don’t forget to send me a thank-you message after seeing the positive result. Until we catch up again next week, stay positive and continue winning.