You're Probably Taking the Longest Path to Your Goals
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It’s amazing how many people have lofty goals but don’t approach them seriously. Without the right approach, attainable goals look much more like pipe dreams. The only greater fault than carelessly pursuing your goals is pursuing the wrong goals entirely. Because of this, your first step should be deeply contemplating what it is you’re interested in chasing.
This is something I think about often. Almost every time I walk, my mind will somehow wander toward the topic of “what I want out of life.” I’ll daydream about my perfect day and what it’d be filled with. After coming back to reality, I’ll ask myself questions like:
Why did I imagine those things specifically?
If attained, are those things truly valuable to me?
How can I move myself closer to that perfect day?
These questions help me ensure I’m setting good goals and that I avoid frivolous pursuits.
Something interesting about the last question specifically is that over time I’ve learned you shouldn’t think about goals linearly. Society has a way of pushing us onto particular, predefined paths, but I’d recommend shying away from them. Many of these carved-out paths have predefined steps, each littered with prerequisites. Instead, ask yourself how you can walk the fastest path from A, where you are, to Z, where you want to be.
While it sounds trivial, this was a profound realization for me. Chances are, there are a hundred or more unique ways to arrive at your “Z.” Therefore, you shouldn’t assume you need to follow a rigid path determined by society that you must walk along incrementally. The fastest way to arrive at what you want is to aim straight for Z. While jumping from A to Z might not be feasible, who’s to say you’re required to visit all twenty-four letters between your start and destination?
Another realization I had too late in life is that you shouldn’t ask for permission to pursue the goals you’re after. For 99% of your aspirations, you likely don’t need to reach a certain age, possess a particular degree, or have obtained a coveted job title to find a viable path to Z. This is especially true in the internet age. The internet is a tool that provides you with virtually infinite leverage and requires negligible permissions. If you’re lucky enough to be able to read this, you likely have all the means necessary to chase what you’re after; so take care not to needlessly place roadblocks on your route.
Think deeply to determine what you’re after, constantly check in to ensure it’s what you really want, and walk the shortest path between where you are and where you want to be.
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