Whose Goals are These?

“Be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” Hardy Jackson couldn’t have said it better. When we try to walk in the path of someone else it doesn’t quite feel real to us. The same goes for goals. If they aren’t yours, whose goals are they?

It is easy for someone to suggest a new addition to one of your goals and easy to start  following that path without really considering it. After a while you won’t know whose goal this really is, yours or someone else’s. Others can offer suggestions for achieving your goals but be sure that the goal still remains uniquely yours. Here are some questions to help you keep your goals true to yourself.

1. Do you desire to complete this goal? This is an important question. Without motivation for success you won’t succeed. Sometimes what you perceive as laziness in yourself is really  a lack of motivation because the goal is in some way not totally your idea in the first place.

2. Can you define the goal? If a goal comes from your desires, you can tell someone all about it. Whatever question they ask, you can answer them with enthusiasm because it is a goal that you want to accomplish. When the details are fuzzy, the goal might not be your idea.

3. Are you doing it for someone else? If you are going to school to be a chef solely because your father was a chef, that goal needs some thought. If deep inside you are  trying to keep your parents from lamenting over a lost chance at owning a restaurant, you won’t find any fulfillment or joy in taking up someone else’s torch. People do succeed at goals set for them by others, but the feelings of joy, accomplishment and pride that come with goal achievement aren’t there.  And those feelings are what you want—they only come when your actions match your own goals.

4. Are you focused? Be cautious if one day you are gung ho and the next week your commitment wanes. If a  goal seems to take a long time to complete, this could be a red flag. Before you let others jump to conclusions about your commitment,  take another  look at your goal. Try to find if there is something in the way of your focus or if you have taken on a goal that doesn’t suit you.

Never  consider yourself as quitting when you drop a goal that you discover wasn’t yours in the first place. Careful consideration of the source of your goals, at any time, can be depended on to get you closer to living the life that will bring you true happiness. No one else’s goals can get you there!