Focus on having a mission rather than goals
A thought experiment on the questions we would ask ourselves when a dream becomes reality
Grand aspirations, big dreams, we all have them, they serve an important purpose providing a deep drive to keep on going, an inspiring path to follow. They help us stay motivated, disciplined and focused to accomplish difficult tasks and move our life to a positive place.
But besides aspirations, where else do we need to look for inspiration?
Are there more important questions we need to be asking ourselves?
Goals are important but they’re not what we should be focusing on.
Say I set myself an annual goal of making x amount of dollars, or publish a book, or start a tech company, or build a successful blog, it can be anything. I work super hard during that year and on the last day of the year, it happens, my goal becomes real. In that precise moment, besides feeling extremely joyful, proud, eclectic, I quickly realize those feelings are temporary, they fade after the initial excitement and I’m left thinking, what now?
Goals should be your milestones not endpoints. Goals need to serve as checkpoints along the long and difficult path of success. Think of that trail as your journey through life, shifting your focus from the checkpoints to the trail we begin to ask ourselves more powerful and meaningful questions that lead us closer to knowing that eccentric message we want to share with the world.
We’re much better off focusing on finding our mission, not fantasizing about goals.
Your mission is where you need to focus, for it becomes your vision
Having a defined mission answers this important question. This is precisely why having a mission is much more powerful than having goals. You know what comes next because you know and understand your path, it’s drawn. Your mission illuminates your path and provides you immense excitement, a deep motivation and the curiosity to question.
Goals affirm we are going in the right direction providing temporary relief, while your mission keeps you focused and on-track regardless how difficult it gets. As human beings, it’s natural to strive for improvement, and this is why it is not effective to make goals your primary target because when you reach a goal, it is only natural for that initial excitement to fade away and we look to whatever is next with no direction. Inch closer and closer to your vision by harnessing the power of goals but don’t make them your focus.
A mission gives us a message to share with the world.
Elon Musk has many visions, one prominent amongst them is making our species an interplanetary reality. Elon founded many companies in his successful entrepreneurial journey, SpaceX being chief amongst those successful companies he founded. And it was to make his vision a reality flying rockets into outer orbit to inch ever so closer to making our species interplanetary.
Steve Jobs had a vision; to make technology easy and accessible through simple functional design. He founded Apple Computers which gave us incredible inventions like the iPod, iPhone and Mac computers. These mega successful people started with a vision and turned it into their mission. Share your incredible ideas with the world through your mission.
A word on money.
To be blunt, making a ton of money is a terrible mission, because it completely misses the point. Money is tangible, it can be measured giving it the dangerous characteristic of being a moving target that can never satisfy and will lead you misery. The allure of money is justified because it does offer an important perk, freedom. The freedom to be creative, make mistakes and take some chances, all great things to figuring out life. Just remember money will always fall short of carrying a deep meaning. Find the message that carries an intense emotional drive and pursue that instead.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it comes down to time. What you choose to spend our time on is how you shape your path. This is why focusing on the mission is your better bet because you shape your path towards where you need to go.
Success will come when you bring a unique message that’s meaningful, useful and powerful. Work hard to figure out what that message needs to be and when you find it, count yourself very lucky and be grateful. Be grateful everyday you’re on your path.
It is only when we push beyond our perceived limits where we find what makes us special.
I hope my thoughts today inspired you. Get out and find what makes you special. It is your mission, should you accept.
