Goals. They are a funny thing.  

They are exciting. They are a pain in the rear.

They are few. They are many. They are easy. They are challenging. They are accomplished in an hour. Or at times, they overwhelm you and take years to achieve.

People who are successful have them, whether they merely think them or write them down. They help to move us forward in the direction we wish to go. It is a rare circumstance where a plumber, manager, doctor, lawyer, teacher, mechanic, or writer say, “Gee, how did I get here?”

A goal begins when you first say to yourself “I’ll try”. Yourself then, answers, “Try what?” Your answer to that question becomes your goal. Your focus. The light at the top of your staircase.

Not at the end of your tunnel, you ask?

Nope.

Try to consider that to set and go to work toward your goals will be a little harder than merely a step in one direction or another.  If the steps are worth taking, they will probably require more thought and effort than mere horizontal ones. Accomplishing them is going to take a climb.

Are you willing?

If you don’t set goals of some kind, then you tell yourself you are okay with the walk on that path. You are fine with where you are. You are probably in a great place in your life and achieved your goals already.

If you still say things to yourself like: “I want to save more money.”, “I want a job I love.”, “I want to be a writer.” or “I want to have more positive, productive relationships in my life.”, and your answer is “I’ll try.” then you’re setting goals and you don’t even realize it.

When you set goals, you tell yourself you are ready to move beyond where you are. It could be a movement to something different or something better. You are okay with where you are, but you’d like a change. That is a great place to be too. If you’re willing to do the work.

Are you up for the challenge?

I am.

To Self:

“I’ll try. I’ve got this. Let’s go!”