Is the Goal Really the Point?

We all want to get better. We all want to experience the thrill of achievement. Although, are goals really the whole point?

If you had a magic wand and you could make all of your deepest desires come to fruition, would you wave that wand? Who wouldn’t?! But it would be a lot less enjoyable than you might think. 

More to YOUR goals than YOU might realize...

Consider this:

1. If you could have everything you wanted magically appear, would you find that satisfying? If you’re like most people, you have a long list of things you’d like to see, do, and have. Imagine if you could snap your fingers and be wealthy like Ted Leonsis, play the guitar like Zakk Wylde, write books like Nora Roberts, see the Northern Lights, lose 15 pounds, and run a successful company. Imagine that all of that came to fruition in a blink of an eye. Would you feel fulfilled? Accomplished? Proud of yourself? Not sure about you, but that scenario sounds depressing to me. If you’re like me, the process of going after your goals is the essential part. We actually can become different people (for the better) as we work toward our goals. Things don’t mean too much if you don’t have to work for them. 
2. Check how you feel. How do you feel the day after achieving a big goal? For me, accomplishing a big goal gives me a tremendous amount of energy and validates everything I did up to that point was worth it. But soon after the goal is accomplished, the “high” fades. Weeks after the achievement, I might forget that I even did it. How about you? Think about all the goals you recently achieved. Maybe you earned your doctorate, you landed a huge client, or you saved like crazy for home improvement projects. Whatever it was, you probably felt amazing accomplishing your goal. Then you moved on. Soon after we achieve something, we feel indifferent to it. If you’re like me, you have to track your successes over the year, or you will completely forget months later. I have to go through my journal to see all the stuff I did throughout the year. Even goals that I busted my butt working toward end up forgotten.  
3. Struggling leads to learning. If someone just randomly gave you a house, you would lose the opportunity to: work hard to earn, save, and invest your money. When you grind it out and face challenges, you end up forcing growth. Whether you're learning from a mentor, a book, or a program, you’re learning how to be a better version of yourself. I remember when I was 260lbs. Today I’m 180lbs. For years, I struggled with my weight. Thank God that I didn’t lose the weight in an instant. Was it challenging to drop all those pounds? Yes, it was extremely challenging, but I became a different person in the process. Today, I monitor my food intake, and I understand a lot more about health, exercise, and vitamins.  

We get far more from the journey than the result.

Going after our goals is a way to learn, grow, adapt, and become a better version of ourselves. Having a vision that comes to fruition provides us a sense of accomplishment that can not be replicated if things are just given to us. 

Stop wishing that it was easier and start getting stronger. Achievement is fantastic, but crossing a goal off your list isn’t the point!

*Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers organizations to attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling. Matt’s past engagements have catalyzed radical sales increases for over 200 organizations that range from financial institutions to the health and wellness industry. 

Matt shares his expertise in persuasion with executives, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs, who he coaches on the art of influence and how to leverage this for profits and impact. 

For more info, check out his video | https://youtu.be/pflQtzgP7X0