Goals (Or Something Like That)

I've been putting off making goals for way too long. I have had goals on and off since Freshman year when I read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. But not one of those goals has lasted the three year journey to today. I mean, yeah, I still try and be physically fit, and my diet has grown more and more healthy. I have learned more information than I could have even imagined existed at the age of 15. But all of those things happened because I'm very "lucky" when it comes to those areas of life. In terms of living consciously, I somehow manage to get the benefits without putting in any of the work. And it's time for that to change.

Let me put it more simply. Somehow, I just managed to get valedictorian. I didn't work hard at it -- at least not consciously (luckily for me, I just kind of am naturally "gifted" in the academic sector) -- but managed to end up on top (though to be honest, I did have the goal of being valedictorian, or more specifically, beating my brother's GPA). I managed to develop a healthy diet and a (relatively) consistent exercise plan just out of sheer luck. Wanting to be healthy somehow came naturally to me. I didn't have to put any effort into it. Same with learning any of the things I have picked up: calculus, chemistry, writing, all of these things came about because I'm "lucky" at that sort of thing. That's where my talents lie.

What about where I'm not lucky, not as talented? Sports, relationships, riding a bike. For Christ's sake, I can solve a differential equation, but ask me to sit down on a bike, or have a ten minute conversation with someone I don't know, and I freeze up. Why? Because that's not where I'm "lucky" or "gifted" or "talented." Those are the areas of my life where I'd actually have to put in some effort to get noticeable results. Not a whole lot of effort, but still more than I've yet to put in, and definitely more than I've had to put into my academic/health/spiritual pursuits. If it doesn't come naturally to me, then I just don't tend to do it. And that's where goals come into play.

I guess I should be setting up goals around areas that I have the most difficulty. Not that I should necessarily forget about the cerebral and the physical and the spiritual, but just that I can more or less depend on my "gifts" in those areas to carry me forward with little conscious effort.

Plus, goals are the big questions that I should ask myself every day to set my compass. Goals are the reason to get up in the morning instead of enjoying just another few minutes (hours) of sleep; or as I like to call it, the lovely cessation of consciousness. Goals create the passion that pushes me forward, gets me to thinkarete, gets me to self-actualize. Being and doing are not-two, but that doesn't mean that I ignore doing always in favor of being. Especially when I'm not actually being, but rather just doing random things that are of little or no value.

In each human life, there is only a finite amount of time in the relative domain. Yes, that means I will have to make tough decisions. I won't be able to travel down every node, take every possible path, or taste ever fruit. That shouldn't stop me from taking A path, even if it's the wrong path. A wrong path is better than no path because at least with the wrong path, I can learn something along the way.

I still haven't come up with any goals. But at least I know I should make them in the areas of relationships, communication, and riding a bike. :)

Namaste.