What Does Redefining Goals Actually Mean?

Redefining goals doesn’t mean setting new goals exactly, rather changing what we think goals are or what makes them important. Follow me as a explore my current thoughts on achievement and the importance of the journey. Also check out my previous post for more background about why I’ve started thinking this way.

1. Recently, I’ve been thinking about what it means to “achieve” something, to have a goal and reach that goal. Honestly, I never really considered goals more than what they seem to be on the surface, which is making a plan and seeing that plan through. But recently, I’ve been wondering about the depth of goals and how making a choice and the process of fulfilling that choice is reflective of many more things than wanting something and seeing how we can get it.
2. So what is a goal? Without looking it up in the dictionary, something I strongly encourage, I wanted to work with what I already “know” about that word and what it means to me. I suggest asking yourself what your definition of a goal is first before looking it up. After writing down what you come up with, look up the word in a dictionary and see how close you were to the actual meaning. Sometimes our personal definitions, wrong as they are, are more useful to us than the real definition, but we should know the true meanings of the words we use in our lives.
3. My definition of a goal: A plan or set of plans decided upon to reach a particular conclusion that, when manifested, will reap some form of reward.
4. Google dictionary’s definition for “Goal”: the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. The destination of a journey.
5. Here is what I found to be different between the two: my own personal definition of goal includes the journey as part of the goal, but the denotation (read actual definition) of the word “goal” says that the “destination” is the goal. While I choose to look at the process and the accomplishment of said process toward an end results as part of my objective, Google seems to disagree.
6. The lessons that are useful in life are learned during the journey, not at the end of the journey. Therefore, a goal is part growth, part end game, where the person finds that they can not only achieve a particular thing but can also build different sets of skills that will assist with reaching other future goals. For me, the journey is where the magic happens.
7. Hardship stretches the imagination, making troubleshooting abilities and optimistic living habitual activities rather than exceptions to the rule. When challenged, we learn how to maneuver ourselves differently in a world that feels obstinately against us. Whether we “win” or “lose” at that time becomes insignificant, rather we determine that survival is what is most important and making sure we survive builds tenacity, flexibility, and intelligence.
8. We learn the most about ourselves when faced with obstacles. Are we stubborn in the face of objection or do we figure out how to move with and not against the current? Do we allow our failures to dictate for us our emotional integrity or can we find humor in the mistakes and joy in that idea that something was learned along the way? How do we sometimes get in our own way when we could build a bridge with the broken pieces?
9. When traversing through the journey, we meet people who can sometimes positively manipulate our paths towards other goals, sometimes even changing the original goal in the first place. Networking, friendships, and amorous relationships are all cause for celebration when they enhance not only our quality of living, but also our quality of being humans in the world and seeing ourselves in multiple lights. Sometime we have our hearts set on one thing, but in meeting someone else we see that an alternative route is necessary or another goal is actually more powerful for us at that time.
10. When taking a journey, we appreciate the end result a lot more and therefore understand the worth of the goal. Sometimes we set goals, in this case something that we want to accomplish, and receive it all too soon and too easily. How good does it feel to have something handed to you with little effort? It’s not necessarily a bad feeling, but compare that to having worked really hard and finally achieving your end result. Because so much has happened between start and finish, the finish feels a lot more worth it. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but I’ve found exceptions to mean that the goal was not compatible with me in the first place.
11. I’m still learning what it means to have a goal and what it means to me to accomplish anything at all. Though I do feel joy when I’ve made a great leap and successfully landed afterward, I often find myself missing the activities that got me there. The journey becomes addictive in a way, which is great for me because it just makes me set more goals. Right now, I am finding myself at a stand still and it is because I am so focused on reaching something that I am rushing through the small steps it takes to get there. I have to learn to appreciate and build from skills and lessons learned during the journey to better appreciate and understand what it is I’m fighting for. This could be an ongoing lesson, but I choose progress over perfection any day!

~Phillip

Glappitnova unites influencers and talent from different industries through storytelling, performances, classes, and events for one crazy 8 day experience in Chicago.The opinions expressed here by Glappitnova.com contributors are their own, not those of Glappitnova.com.

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Phillip Williams

Phillip B. Williams is the author of the forthcoming book of poetry Thief in the Interior (Alice James Books 2016). He is a recipient of several scholarships to Bread Loaf Writing Conference, a graduate of Cave Canem, and one of five winners of 2013’s Ruth Lilly Fellowship. Phillip received his MFA in Writing at Washington University in St. Louis and is currently the poetry editor of the online journal Vinyl Poetry.