Use Goals Don't Let Them Use You

Your arrows do not carry, observed the Master, because they do not reach far enough spiritually Eugene Herrigel – Zen and the Art of Archery

We all get frustrated when we fail to hit our personal targets. As an example, lets suppose that last January you set a goal of earning $100,000 more this year. And now after spending the last 9 months climbing and striving to reach that goal you find yourself only achieving half of that goal. What follows is a loss of momentum. Probably a few self limiting beliefs got reinforced. The result is a drop in energy and vigor. So when you reinstate the goal for the next year you are already operating at a personal energy deficit.

You can imagine what will happen the next year, and the year after that if you continually fail to hit your targets. Perhaps right here, right now, you are feeling the effects of the frustration of falling short of those goals year after year. As we strive to obtain known personal objectives we get caught up in the target event (obtaining) and may miss the attainment process altogether.

Let me explain. There are two categories of goals, the known goals and the unknown goals. Known goals are the ones you have targeted as worth achieving. They are known to you and to people in your life who are committed to helping you achieve them. Unknown goals are deeper qualities and values that surface as a result of your efforts toward your known goals. They are the deeply satisfying needs that you have temporarily forgotten. Once you become aware of them, life has even greater purpose and meaning.

Heres how it works. As you strive to achieve your known goals your deep down unknown goals get satisfied. If you fail to recognize these qualia and assimilate them into your consciousness two things occur:

1. Your wins feel hollow.

1. Your failures begin to drain more and more of your energy.

   The reality is that some goal is always being achieved in the attainment process. However, it isnt always the one you had consciously set (Known). As an example, on your quest to earn more this year you might have attainted recognition, better health, and parental approval, spousal buy in, inner strength, stronger relationships, and more time to enjoy your world. These are all examples of unknown goals.

   We are not describing a rationalization event. We are outlining a Fourth Way Personal Realization Process. We are not making excuses or denying failed attempts, we are describing a new way to look at this journey of success. Learning this process will change your perspective and behavior. It will liberate your beliefs and extinguish your self imposed limitations. Acknowledging your unknown wins will give you a self liberating perspective and energize your reinstated goals.

   Reach for your star!