We should all take goal-setting quite seriously. It is important to not only set goals, but also to view the goals as stepping stones to even greater and more significant goals in our life. Our goals must be clearly understood as to what they mean in the grand scheme of who we are – even without knowing who we might become. If our mindset is that our goal represents our highest ambition, then our goal may simply be an impediment to achieving our true potential.
We are such complex souls that we cannot and do not fully understand what we are capable of achieving until we have actually achieved the goals we set. Then – and only then – can we question whether or not the goal was challenging enough. Why? Because our vision for ourselves cannot be a real assessment of our capabilities; it is but an interpretation of our capabilities from our past experiences.
These interpretations are biased, and may be limited by our history and by our concrete existential reality. Our reality, true or not, may embolden us to go further, or it may make us fearful, causing us to shrink back. Our sense of what we can accomplish is fueled by a belief system that is otherworldly, a kind of third eye that empowers us to challenge the constraints of our natural abilities and accomplish amazing and supernatural things.
This ability is rarely seen by individuals; rather, it is more easily seen by coaches or mentors who are able to see the individual’s mental blocks, and see how a breakthrough can only happen not by setting goals, but by incrementally achieved milestones.
A goal that speaks to one ultimate ambition conveys something that is subtle and sinister: namely, that more cannot be achieved, or that the goal or goals represent the end of our capability. So be careful how you set goals. Set milestones and pursue your greatness. Only God knows what you are fully capable of, and a great coach can help you get there.
Eric Lawrence Frazier, MBA
President and CEO
NMLS 461807 CAL BRE 0114348
