If goals make your heart skip a beat, if competition is your strength, if the finish line is just a starting line to your next goal, then maybe your eyes have crossed paths with these words today for a purpose. I’m one of you. Impulsively, I am always thinking about what the future holds and what I need to do right now to prepare for it.
One of my signature strengths is “future-mindedness.” I get downright excited about creating a vision. My husband and I even dreamt up a list while walking on a Bahamian beach on one of the lazy days of our honeymoon – of the adventures we wanted to experience and the kind of life we wanted to live. It was fun. And we are living it out. I love it. As a coach, I’ve helped hundreds get clear about a vision of their own. But like any strength, you can overuse it. Thinking too much about the future has, at times, overwhelmed my present moments. The constant quest for a new goal must be balanced with breaks between goals, moments of celebration and realistic expectations of what the achievement of another goal will bring. One day last year, while chatting with my own coach, I stumbled upon a question that intrigued me, “When have you done enough?”
In other words, does there always need to be another level, a new goal, another achievement to check off the list? What would it feel like to set a goal to want less? Now that’s a different kind of a goal. To truly savor what you have, sometimes you must make the space to enjoy it – unencumbered by the pressure of the next thing on your must-do list. I’m not talking about having low standards or giving up on your dreams. I’m talking about giving yourself space to breathe and enjoy what you’ve already accomplished.
In our performance-driven culture, it can be easy to miss the point of setting a goal in the first place – to live out our purpose, experience the joy of life, and make an impact that leaves the world somehow better off. There’s a big difference between doing something because you “can” and doing it because you’re “led.” There are endless options for what you “can” do, but most of them will distract you from what is best for you in this season of your life. You may just find the goal is about a new kind of achievement in your life – the achievement of contentment and the inspiration that will emerge when you have the space to hear that still, small voice whispering what’s next on the horizon.
My challenge to you this week:
Identify the activity you are engaged in simply because you “can” do it, even though you don’t feel called to it.
Journaling assignment:
In what area(s) are you stressing yourself to accomplish more to the detriment of savoring the here-and-now? What do you do because you “can,” even though it doesn’t resonate or excite you? What change does this week’s message prompt in you? Leave your comments below; I’d love to hear from you!
