Everybody has goals, right? What is a goal anyway? Boil it down to its essence and you have something that you want to make happen in the future.

It could be an object or position you were hoping to on. It could be some sort of improvement on your health, your environment, or your well-being.

It could be something simple and concrete that as well within your reach. Or it could be some thing that is so far out and lofty, it crosses over into daydream territory.

Everyone has goals, not everyone achieves them. Some folks dream big and make it happen, others play small and stay safe going around in circles.

Wherever you are in life adds up to the sum total of goals you have had in the past. We exist in the midpoint between where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s called the present moment.

Goals have an interesting relationship with action. The amount of action necessary to achieve a goal is inversely proportional to the size of the goal itself. What do I mean by that?

Well, small goals can be tackled with one swift action. If your goal is to get your oil changed, you can decide to do it today, drive down to your local service center, and have it done by lunchtime. Small goal, swift action. Voilà! It’s done.

But what about a much bigger goal? Let’s say you want to climb the Andes mountains? If you picture yourself standing at the base looking up thinking about how you can do it in one fell swoop, chances are you’ll give up before you even begin, or at the very least indulge in infinite procrastination.

For a goal like that, you need to start way ahead of time. You need to break it down into tiny steps. You need to get in shape in order to tackle your final destination. In other words, you need to build a habit.

That’s what I mean by inversely proportional. The bigger the goal, the smaller the pieces you need to break it into. Along the way you’ll either fall in love with the process or realize that you’re on the wrong track. At the end of the day, the journey IS the destination.

If you like the process and you’re making progress, you’re on the right track!

Much love till next Monday!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine