This is a good question.
How meaningful are your life goals on a scale of 1 to 10?
That gets right to the heart of the matter.
And I think in the current world environment, with a lot of bonkers having happened over the last couple of years (and continuing) it really is the time to have a MUCH deeper look into where we are putting our attention, energy, resources and life force.
In The Guidebook to Authentic Success, I suggest that it is hard to truly feel ‘successful’ right down to your bones, if you are not doing things with your life, or heading in the direction of meaningful life goals.
One of my favourite quotes by Earl Nightingale is:
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” I often substitute ‘ideal’ for ‘goal’.
What is means to me is I get to experience the feelings of success (I prefer the authentic version), while I am heading in the direction of, and working towards the realisation of, something that is truly meaningful.
The other thing is if you choose the most meaningful (and right) Goals, you are more likely to experience the other things essential to authentic success, such as: growth, connection, experiencing joy, and feeling in alignment with your authentic self.
The time thing
Here is my recommendation: Take your time.
Don’t be in too much of a rush to figure it out. Obviously we don’t want to pontificate for years, but we also don’t want to try and force an answer out too quickly.
It is much better to figure out the most meaningful life goal, for you, for now, over the course of a few months, then to make a quick choice and head off in the wrong direction for the next 5 years.
Really sit with the question.
“What are meaningful goals, which are right for me, for now, and will allow me to grow, experience connection, bring me into greater alignment with me, and have me experience deep joy?”
I suggest doing this deep contemplation in a place and space, which allows you to be at your highest creative genius potential. And give yourself enough time to allow ideas to float in and out, as you playfully consider whether they are right for you, for now.
The ‘test and adjust’ thing
Be okay with not getting your ‘meaningful life goals’ right on your first attempt. Make a best guess.
Then head in that direction and see what feedback you get along the way. I teach all of my clients the importance of having a weekly check-in with self. I call it my weekly meeting with ME INC.. It is one of the most important meetings I have each week and I never wig out on it.
Plus, don’t feel it is a ‘failure’ if you have to throw out your goals and start again.
“There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.”
Head in the direction you believe to be your most meaningful goals, and stay open to the feedback you are receiving. Then adjust your goals and plans accordingly, and be back on your merry way. Let the journey be the true building blocks of your final destination and creation.
A Litmus Test
One of the litmus tests I use when coming up with meaningful life goals is to zoom out and ask myself three questions:
- Is the goal good for ME?
- Is it good for OTHERS? (Especially those people closest to me and likely to be most effected)
- Is it good for the GREATER GOOD? (The planet, society, my community, nature, human evolution, etc.)
- I figure if you can tick off on all of those, you are definitely heading in the right direction.
So…
As we come towards the middle of 2022, and as you look a little deeper within, is now the time to ‘upgrade‘ the quality, impact and meaningfulness of the goals that you have laid out in front of you?
And know that in order to open yourself up to new possibilities and opportunities, you may need to let go of some old stuff that is no longer serving you. Doing the inner work is definitely a part of creating the space for something new to show up. So step into that as part of the process.
“The best guess for my Meaningful Life Goal’s, for now, is…”
What comes to mind?
I feel it is worthy to also mention that a meaningful goal, might, in some peoples case, be to actually wind things back for a month, several months or even a year. To do less. To create more space. To step away from something. To commit more time to doing the inner work. A meaningful life goal does not have to equal doing more.
As a result of writing this post, I also took a step back and had a look at my own life goals, to rate them for meaningfulness, and then started making some annotations and adjustments.
In Summary
We co-create our destiny, by the choices we make.
One of those choices, is the quality and type of the goals we put our attention, energy and life force into.
The right (meaningful) goals are likely to generate by-products that contribute positively to the overall quality of your life experience.
Don’t keep heading towards a Goal, which you may have set in the past, if it feels impotent or unfulfilling. Review it, revise it, or even ditch it.
And finally, own your goals. Don’t follow someone else’s desires or goals for you. It’s time to truly Own Your Power.
Have a truly wonderful day and all the very best.
Take care,
Carl
PS: For a deeper conversations, check out my weekly Podcasts here.