Autumnal blueberry bushes, 2001
This is the time for setting resolutions, plans and goals for the new year. In particular with respect to blogging, most guides recommend setting clearly measurable "external goals" (such as number of visitors, subscribers, comments, earnings etc.) and similarly "economic" measures are of course applicable to any aspect of our lives. While I absolutely agree that it is important to make plans and to have goals, I am decidedly against setting defined economic or external goals for the things I do.
My overall goal is to love what I am doing and to do what I love. I think it is a mistake to set external goals. External goals replace my own values with those of others. External goals let others decides whether I can be satisfied with what I do.
I think that everybody should define his goals and plans individually, but I would like to suggest the three following tips as guidelines:
- Set goals that depend on your effort, creativity or dedication.
- Do not set goals that depend on the valuation of others.
- Set your happiness, consciousness and integrity as the highest goals.
Metaphorically, many things in your life, even life itself, are like a school exam: You can study in order to get a certain mark or you can study in order to understand and learn. I never studied for marks but only for myself and because I wanted to understand. This does not mean that I did not want to do well, but doing well was not the primary motivation and it was me who defined "well". Before each important exam I had studied as much as I considered appropriate and necessary and I was decided to pursue other studies should my efforts not suffice to pass. I did not fail my exams, but I did of course reach turning points where I had to reconsider my path and change long-held plans. Nevertheless, I am glad that I never set external goals such as a mark, a salary, a title or a position as my goals.
I consider not setting external goals a luxury. As every luxury object it does not come for free, but the travails buy you peace of mind and freedom. Please do not mistake the absence of external goals as a sign of low standards or an excuse. In many cases even the contrary might be true. All I do is to suggest defining goals that you can reach by yourself and which do not depend upon any sort of valuation of others. I try to follow this approach, I make many mistakes, I try to improve myself and to learn as much as I can from others; hoping that it brings peace of mind and happiness.
I consider not setting external goals a luxury. As every luxury object it does not come for free, but the travails buy you peace of mind and freedom. Please do not mistake the absence of external goals as a sign of low standards or an excuse. In many cases even the contrary might be true. All I do is to suggest defining goals that you can reach by yourself and which do not depend upon any sort of valuation of others. I try to follow this approach, I make many mistakes, I try to improve myself and to learn as much as I can from others; hoping that it brings peace of mind and happiness.
I wish you wisdom in setting the goals that will help you become happy and satisfied in the new year 2012!
Florian.
