Are Goals Important? Continued

• By vishwa on General

• September 23, 2014

Few of my gym clients were not completely pleased with my previous write up “Are Goals Important?” They felt that I could be clearer perhaps by providing an example. I agree that I am not clear, and brought the briefing to an abrupt end. Well, now I am revisiting the same discussion and try to revamp it.

The discussion about goals reminds of what Frank Foreninch says in his famous book Exuberant Animal. I have presented his argument before, but as the context beckons I am coerced to present it again. He says, “In today’s hyper-rational world, linear sequences are taken as evidence of ultimate knowledge and professional expertise. We expect people to lay down their ideas in linear patterns with distinct rankings, hierarchy and above all, order. But, as we are beginning to discover, neither evolution nor good ideas work this way. Good ideas don’t proceed from point to point in sequential fashion; they split and splinter, branch and divide, just like species do.”

I hope you are able to connect with what Frank says about linear progression to what I say about goals. When I say about goals, I am not only suggesting that pursuing to reach a target is about reaching point B from Point A but also caring for other aspects of life. For example, assume that you are representing an IT company. You are climbing the corporate ladder very soon. In other words, you have reached point B from point A. However, as occurring in the present lifestyle you forget about your health and relationship. The only thing that matters the most for you is to be affluent. Nonetheless, you realize late that you committed a grave mistake by neglecting all other aspects in life. Moreover, it is already late when you acknowledge your folly, for things are blown out of proportion.

As Frank says life is not only about linear sequences, you will also have to care about other important expressions of life. A few days before I shared a quote in Facebook that paraphrases what I state—“Some people are so poor all they have is money.”