Our Goals Dictate Our Path

By Chandini Ravikumar

“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.” - C.S.Lewis

Lets say, our lives are akin to a treasure hunt, wherein, we are given a map that guides us through. In the map, there will be areas that are both known and unknown to us. It is in this unknown or unexplored regions on the map, where our dreams and goals reside like tiny pieces of buried treasure, that we hope to find some day, when we decide to embark on an enthralling treasure hunt.

Undeniably, there will be some inevitable challenges that we may have to face while treading towards the treasure. There will be moments of doubts and disappointments, especially when the coveted treasure that we have been looking for is not exactly the way we had envisioned. Later in time, our minds will want to switch to “better goals,” and in uncovering the “bigger treasure” elsewhere.

Most of us would have experienced situations similar to the treasure hunt trope. In reality, the goals that we are looking forward to pursue, can range from getting a degree to starting a new fitness routine, from making a career change to starting a new life with a partner, etc. The fact that these quintessential goals are completely different in practice, causes a sense of disappointment or frustration in people. However, the deep- rooted problem lies in the manner we approached the treasure hunt in the first place.

Coming back to our metaphoric subject, the treasure hunt, people invest all their time in dreaming about the treasure only. Little do people realize that the fastest way to be getting to their desired goal point is to set their compasses, and to start walking. The concept is outright simple, and the key rules to remember are:

• Developing a determined mind to focus on which way we want to be headed

• Committing to our goals with utmost conviction

• Pouring all our positive energy into the journey

• Knowing that we are moving steadily in one clear direction

Otherwise stated, our goals become our compasses, and not the treasure that we look out for. Our goals are our mission, and a path that we all follow. And in this path, it does not matter what valuables we are going to find for ourselves, rather, it is the commitment one needs to have while walking the path.

Good goals do provide direction to our lives, like a rudder on a boat, pointing out our energy in a specific direction as we move downstream.

Therefore, one must learn to believe that goals are not the ultimate point, and that our goals dictate our path. Let us choose that path and learn to walk it progressively.

By Chandini Ravikumar