Goal
Today, we’re going to think about your mission to ensure your actions produce the outcomes you want.
Do You Think Critically About Your Actions?
Do you reflect on your life and where you’d like to be?
“I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
As a human being, you are destined to act. You have goals to accomplish, needs to fulfill, and desires to satisfy. No matter the breadth of your ambition, it is impossible to sit and do nothing.
Therefore, when you act, what do you hope to accomplish? What consequence do you want to arise from your actions? Do you hope eating sweets will satisfy your anxiety? Or, do you expect being emotionally volatile will help you “get back” at your enemies? Or, do you desire better mental peace when you save your money for a rainy day?
Always reflect on your mission.
Your actions (and inactions) produce specific outcomes. You may want to accomplish a particular goal, but if your actions do not align with your desires, you will fail. Therefore, it is worthwhile to think critically about what you want to achieve, so your actions align with your mission.
Today, I want to explore the best ways to think about your desires. We will focus on aligning your wishes with your actions, so you can achieve what you want.
What Is Your Mission?
What do you wish to do with your life?
Firstly, we need to define where you’re aiming. Therefore, what do you wish to do with your life, and what actions are you pursuing? What would you love to learn and accomplish?
Secondly, we need to define what you want to resolve. What are your responsibilities? What currently stands in your way to happiness and success? How can you safely fulfill the duties you have on your plate?
You have to act on your mission.
Everyone struggles with poor finances, deteriorating health, and everything in between. Resolving these issues gives you confidence. Why? Because you show yourself how powerful and capable you are. For example, if you can solve financial troubles, then you are strong enough to open the business of your dreams. Additionally, if you can dominate the gym, you can dominate your workday. Success builds on success, and resolving critical issues in your life will increase your momentum.
Lastly, define the ways you can make your future life more straightforward. It is crucial to reflect on whether the goals you set will ease or burden your future. For example, financial responsibility in the here and now will make it easier to pay for any struggles you have in the coming months.
Therefore, take stock of all the ways you can improve your future through virtuous actions.
Looking at Your Mission: Combine Your Goals, Resolutions, and Present Habits
Combine your missions, goals, and healthy habits to produce the best outcomes.
“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” – Louisa May Alcott
With all the information above, you can craft an action plan. Let’s say your life goal is to run a successful computer business. However, you’re stuck as a fry chef. Furthermore, you have a few problems, such as being overweight, in debt, and uneducated in the realm of computers.
Firstly, start with resolving the current issues in front of you by cutting back your consumption. You don’t need streaming services or waste money on eating out. Roll these cutbacks gradually until, after a month or so, you’re free from wastefully spending your money. With more cash in your pocket, you can have an emergency fund for the next time your car decides to break down. Your actions today are assisting your future.
Your Actions Create The Future You Want
Remember, “acta non verba” or “deeds, not words.”
Next, you should schedule a time to learn about computers. Cut back on wasting time on the internet or consuming junk media. Zero in on learning what you can in your spare time. While studying, you put more effort into work. More energy at work helps you get noticed by the boss, and your pay goes up. Your actions in the present are improving your life in the future.
From here, you can network, save your money, and grow your skills. Eventually, you can apply to an IT job or earn the right documentation to prove your knowledge. The next few steps are not easy or comfortable, but your ability to overcome your financial waste and laziness has boldened your courage and increased your confidence.
What Are the Consequences Of Your Actions? What Mission Are You Trying to Achieve?
What are the results of your actions?
Now the example above was a bird’s eye view. If you’ve ever tried to improve your life, you know there are struggles, roadblocks, and distractions in your path. However, you must persist. Define what your life means, find a solution to your obstacles, and act today for the betterment of your future.
You cannot separate yourself from the consequences of your actions or inactions. For example, if you know financial instability is an obstacle, but you continue to waste money on nonessentials, then you will fail. You will stress about money, and incapable of handling the struggles life throws at you. Your actions do not support your mission.
Reflect on the Consequences of Your Actions
Plan your day, and seek to excel.
Therefore, when you plan your day, you need to think about the consequences of your actions. Will this action make me smarter? Will this event help me grow my career? Or, will my studying, at this time, go as well as I hope? The more you practice asking simple questions such as these, the more responsive you are to fulfilling your goals.
Additionally, look at the consequences of enjoying your vices. What will happen to your health when you experience a particular vice? What will happen to your time if you watch one more video? Or, what will happen to your money if you buy a specific item? Think critically about your resources. Remember, wasting your time and energy will negatively affect your ability to accomplish your goals and improve your life.
Always Recheck Your Mission
Reflect on your legacy.
“Happiness is not a goal…it’s a by-product of a life well lived.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
You have to act. Why not move towards the goals you wish to accomplish? Furthermore, why not commit to removing obstacles from your path?
Think critically about what you want to achieve. Then, plan your day so you can achieve what you want. Never set unclear goals or act against what you wish to accomplish. The only reward for such treachery is depression and aimlessness.
Actionables
- What is one easy, simple thing you can complete right now? Why haven’t you done it?
- What do you fear you will not accomplish in the next few weeks?
- What is one of your life goals? Why did you choose this goal?
- Who will benefit from you succeeding at your goals?
Reading List
The Art of Manliness has a fantastic list of articles about goals, missions, and staying motivated:
- The Importance of a Good Start: Using Temporal Landmarks to Achieve Your Goals
- Heading Out on Your Own
- Visions Over Goals
Please remember that it’s important to do the actionables. You’re not on this earth to simply read but to do. To become an individual, you must act more than you consume.
*Image credit to Unsplash.
