“Setting Realistic Goals” is the title of a chapter in a book I read in 2008. I don’t remember the contents of the chapter or the name of the book. I am sure it seemed interesting and important at that time. To set goals you need to know where you are going or, where you want to go.
If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up someplace else.
— Yogi Berra (1925-2015) American professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach
I love this quote. Yogi Berra has such an unusual way with words. Sometimes I feel like this quote is the story of my life. I call it drifting or going with the flow. Going with the flow is good if you are wanting to relax and simply enjoy the moment. However, this attitude does not serve you well if your intentions are to actually end up at a desired place. And, that could mean a real place, some inner goal, or perhaps reaching for a far-off dream. No matter what the “destination,” we all must decide where we want to go and set out to make it so. That requires small steps that we can really accomplish day by day.
Some key elements of effective goal setting include: being specific about what you want to accomplish, making a plan that is measurable, setting goals that are achievable, and each step in your plan needs to head toward that “place” you want to go . . . or, that “thing” you want to achieve.
How to Get Where You Are Going?
I know people who have lived their life this way. They are methodical and they make action plans with steps to reach where they are going. There are chapters of books and entire books written about how to calculate and plan how to set and achieve goals.
Reading these in detail make my head spin. It is similar to the tangled train tracks from a previous blog.
Life is about planning and arriving at destinations. It is about work, play, and relaxation. Life is about accomplishments and about enjoying the moment. It is a balance between often opposing ideas and forces.
Where do you want to go?
That is an important question to ask and answer. What commitments are you willing to make to achieve the desired results?
I am not so sure it is not OK to end up someplace else.
Heaven is where you’ll be when you are okay right were you are.
— Sun Ra (1914-1993) American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, “cosmic” philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.