My Absolutely, Gotta Get Goals…

About this time last year Alex Shalman asked what are the best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals that you would like to achieve in your life?

This turned into a pretty popular meme in which both Wendy and I participated.

As I wrote then, I know the things I’d like to accomplish with my life. What was insightful at the time was why.

From this, I listed my most important goals, no necessarily in order of importance. They were…

1. As I take my last few breaths of life – whenever that is – I want to be able to look back at my life with no regrets. No regrets for things I ’should have done’ or done better. No regrets for things I ’shouldn’t have done.’ No regrets for how thing turned out. Right now I know everything is in its proper place and the events of my life have/are unfolding exactly as they need too. So I want to remember that and live that and take care of anything that isn’t ‘finished.’
2. I want to reach the deepest levels of understanding of myself, my heart, my spirit and my relationship to my Creator. This means, living as fully as I can, my spirituality. Always deepening in knowledge, belief, faith, understanding and surrender.
3. As I live I want to be the best husband for my wife. I want to give everything from inside me to her and live a life of gentleness, beauty, love and peace with her. I want to be the salve for her wounds, the cradle for her troubles and the place of rest for her worries. And every day I want to renew my love, my commitment and my promise to her.
4. There is nothing more dear to me in this world than being a dad. I find it the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Yet the rewards for my efforts are beyond anything tangible on this earth. I think of being a parent as being more like a very loving guide for my kids. My job, I feel, is not to mold them into something, but to guide them as they develop and grow in their own, unique way. There’s much I (and my wife) can write about this (we’ve thought of having another blog about parenting). Yet, the bottom line is that I make it my responsibility to raise good citizens for this world. Adults who think for themselves, trust in their inner guidance, are kind and loving to people and are just overall good human beings. This goal is my legacy – regardless of what ever else I do.

Okay, so I’m showing my soul a little bit. Yet these things are more important to me than business or worldly success. To me, they are the foundations that make all other success possible.

So what about my worldly goals? My business goals? My goals to change the world? Boy, there’s a lot of things I’ve done and so much more I’d like to do.

Let’s start with my ultimate goal…To aid people, from every walk of life and every faith, to open the door to the truth of their existence. Not to my beliefs or existence, but to find it within themselves and authentically live their truth in their daily life. I’m not talking new age mumbo-jumbo. I’m talking the ancient truth of who each of us are as we were made before we were placed in our mom’s bellies.

One criteria…I don’t want to be anyone’s guru or teacher. I only wish to offer knowledge, assistance and help for people to make their own inner journey without making it about me.

My other goals…

• To always help bring people together instead of pushing them apart.
• To help people who are sick, needy, poor and homeless. Not just with money, but through caring, love and action.
• To help bridge the gap between religions, belief systems, and faiths so that they can see their similarities rather than fight about their differences.

Of course there’s more I could add to these. Much more, really. Yet the ‘much more’ side of it is really the details of my life and business as I travel the path toward these overall life goals. More money? Sure – and what will I do with it? Larger, more stable business? Absolutely – and yet will I retain my life/business balance? Health, body, mountains to climb, trails to hike, waves to surfing – on a board an in a kayak, fish to catch, I could go on.

Yet my life has always been and continues to remain about serving people – no different if I consider my goals. It’s what I do for a living in helping businesses reach their goals. It’s what I do as a friend, husband, father and son. God Willing, it’s what I’ll do with the rest of my life.

The rest, as I’ve said, are the details; the ever-changing scenes one witness while hiking the path of life.

So, without this becoming another meme, what are your ‘gotta get’ goals?