Why Goals Aren’t Enough: What’s Your Purpose?

I talk a lot about goals. Goals are important. Without specific goals and ways to measure your progress, it’s tough to know if you’re getting anywhere.

However, if the focus of your life is on achieving individual goals, you will remain unfulfilled. Here’s the problem…

When I ask people when they feel they most fulfilled and happy, most tell me it’s when they fulfill a worthwhile goal. However, when I ask them how long that great feeling lasts, they tell me it may only last a matter of minutes.

Why? Think about it…

Let’s say your goal is to make $200k per year and you reach that goal. For most of us, the next thought is “wouldn’t it be great to make $250k?”. Your euphoria will last a few minutes before you’re striving for the next goal. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with aggressively striving for the next goal. I just think we all need a way to feel fulfilled and happy every day, not just for a few fleeting moments after achieving a goal.

That’s why most people we know are frustrated, even if all outward signs show them to be successful (great house, nice car, large bank account).

So how can we feel fulfilled more consistently?

The answer is to discover your life’s purpose. Your life’s purpose is not something that can be “achieved”. You “achieve” goals, you “live” your purpose.  By understanding your life’s purpose, or being able to answer the question “why am I here?”, you can strive to live every day in a manner that is consistent with that purpose. 

Most people, however, have no clue what the purpose of their life is. Is it to finish my list of ” to do’s”? Make a certain amount of money? Make everyone else happy? I don’t think so.

So how so we figure out what our purpose is? Stay tuned for my next blog and find out!!

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