Make it a Pleasant Journey

The worth of any goal is not in the destination, but in the quality of the process that gets you there. Many of us believe we must suffer pain, work long hours, and be miserable in order to achieve a great and worthwhile goal. This is just not true.

If the journey to success is not enjoyable, you more than likely have set a goal that is not worthwhile. It's time to reevaluate.

How do you set goals? Very carefully, I hope. The problem (or opportunity) is if you set out to accomplish a worthwhile goal and if you dedicate your life, energy, focus, dreams and waking hours to its achievement, there is no way you won't, short of death, achieve it.

Because you have a vision, a dream, or a goal doesn't mean you will be happy along the way or even after you achieve the goal. Your most important decision is to choose goals that will provide a pleasant experience along the way and give you satisfaction upon accomplishment.

Here are a few ideas about how to set goals:

1. Make a list of all the things in life you might accomplish. Don't place limits. Dream big dreams. Anything is possible. Stretch beyond the limits. The French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin wrote: "Our duty as men (and women) is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in creation."
2. After each item on your list, carefully identify the reasons you want what you want.
3. Add two more columns to the list. Look at each goal and put down your strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to achievement of the goal.
4. Ask yourself how much satisfaction you would feel along the way shoring up the weaknesses or exploiting your strengths.
5. Prioritize your list. Put the number one goal on top.
6. Go to work on number one. Action-Hustle-Hurry! Think about it. Put it on a card and keep it in front of you. Enroll others to help. Tell everybody who will listen about the magnificent journey you have undertaken. If someone laughs or makes fun of you, write the person's name and date on your card. After you have achieved your magnificent dream, be sure to look up the individual and show them the time and date they said it couldn't be done.

When it's all over, it's better to have had the excitement of a magnificent dream, to have overcome obstacles and to have suffered setbacks and triumphs than to drift through life one dreary day to the next.

Make it a pleasant journey.