Ok, now settle down. Let me explain. I know I’m usually all change-the-world-y and positive, and being anti-goal setting seems a little counter intuitive, but hear me out.
Perhaps I should be clearer, goals are not the problem. Realistic, semi-long-term goals are the problem. The, “I want to have enough money to go to Rome in two years,” type goals. Those are the kind that are lame.
Why, you ask?
Goals put your focus on the wrong thing.
What’s the wrong thing? The future. The future is the wrong thing.
“But, Illana, how can the future be the wrong thing?”
Glad you asked.
The future is the wrong thing because you actually want to be in Rome now, right?
So, instead of focusing on how you can be miserable working hard doing what you feel like you have to do, just so that some day you can do what you actually want to do, why not focus on doing exactly what you want to be doing right now?
In case you haven’t noticed life is goddamn short, people!
Yes, life is full of brief moments when you have to do the stuff that you have to do. Sometimes those moments are about getting you where you want to go (for instance, I loathe getting gas and going to the supermarket, but I still need to eat and drive).
But, when it comes to the big stuff, like how you spend your waking hours, I am a firm believer in finding a way to make damn sure that the vast majority of that time is spent doing something that makes you feel pretty fucking fabulous.
Here’s the other thing, goals can stop you from enjoying the simple tasks associated with putting one foot in front of the other, because you’re too busy thinking about the someday part of it. The question is, how many open doors do you walk past while trying to get ‘there’, wherever ‘there’ is?
So, if you want to be in Rome, figure out a job or a business that lets you be in Rome.
Your life is not made up of endless opportunities. Time IS short and life IS fleeting.
Fuck goals.
Rome is waiting.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tori Deaux, Dreaming Tree Soap. Dreaming Tree Soap said: Crap+I+Hate+Doing%3A+Goals.+Goal-setting+is+lame. http://t.co/cVLYTdi [...]
I love these on going “crap I hate doing” posts. You actually get it!
very nice. i really dig your controversial headlines.
i agree on the principles of this post. it actually reminds me of a book i read like a million years ago that i forgot about called The Millionaire’s Secret (i think). it was all about how this guy did everything he could to ONLY focus on the present. he would even keep a rubber band on his wrist, so when his mind wondered off into the past or future, he would snap it to get back to reality. this method apparently made him rich.
:)
Yeah… I had a feeling this one would inspire some strong feelings one way or the other. I’ve always been good at blurting out incendiary one-liners. I love that blogging makes that a positive thing, and not just a good way to piss people off at bars.