Do you have the aim that you’re thinking about all the time?
If not then maybe it’s time to reconsider having one.
Have you seen the movie Pinocchio?
There’s a scene where Gepetto, an old man looks at the highest star on the sky and tells the wish. He wants his wooden puppet to become a real boy. And his wish has been granted.
Why should we have an aim?
Humans are weird creatures. Our vision is perception is adjusted to what we aim at. We are visualizers. We look and the points and move towards them.
It happens on many levels. Let’s take fast reading for example. Did you know that by using some pointer, such as a pen, you can increase your reading speed by 50%?
Your eyes will follow your pointer and you’ll be able to focus on what you are pointing. You are declaring the direction.
While pointing at nothing, the chances you’ll hit your goal is almost 0%. So you will be just walking with no purpose. And one day the storm will come and will blow you away. So you need a goal. Without it, you’re more vulnerable than you can afford.
But that’s not all. If you run in circles with no aim and if you do not move forward than you move backward. There is no such thing as standing in one place. The world moves forward so as other people. And unless you move, you’ll stay behind. And that’s not a good place to be.
What’s more, you might be complaining because of other people you’re not successful. It’s a bad idea. And I wouldn’t advise that. Start by cleaning up your room first. And if you focus on what you can do, you’ll find out soon enough you’re able to grow in no time.
That’s why you need to have goals. And to increase our probability of hitting our goals we need to first declare our aim.
Declaring the Aim
We’ve already agreed that you need to have an aim. Now, what should you aim at? It’s not a trivial question.
You should aim at the highest possible good. It’s something that you find meaningful and worth fighting for. How to find such kind of thing?
What would you like to attain?
Think about what would you like to attain in 2-3 years if anything (within reason) could be possible. You get whatever you want. Of course, it requires sacrifices.
But remember, it needs to be something that YOU want, not anybody else or you think you should do this. You aim at what you really want to achieve because you feel that way.
You should also aim at something that will benefit not only you but also your family and the whole community. Winning a lottery is a stupid goal and you’re better than that.
Example:
I want to become a professional writer.
I want to weight 80 kilos with 12% Bodyfat
It might be also fixing your relation with your father, Graduating in college, building a business. You name it. But let it be something that will guide you through storms. Make it your ark.
The aim is important, however, it shouldn’t stop you from actually taking a step forward.
That’s why do it badly. Aim at something you believe is worth fighting for. Something that would justify the suffering of your life had you achieved it. Write this down. And don’t wait until you have time for that. Start now, and do it in chunks of time, even 30 minutes. Don’t worry about perfection.
Why should you aim at the Highest Possible Good?
What are your better alternatives? That’s the best bet you can get. Aiming at the highest possible good gives your life meaning. You are moving forward towards something truly worthwhile. And that’s the opportunity for you for the adventure of your life. Why would you pass it?
Aiming at the highest good is your best bet.
How do you know it? You cannot be sure. You just need to see it yourself. Bet your life on it and see where it will lead you.
There’s an idea called leap of faith which was formulated by Søren Kierkegaard, a great Danish philosopher. Sometimes, you need to jump into the unknown despite the lack of evidence that it’s worth it.
Sometimes, you need to go all in. And only then you can play the game.
Try not holding back in your crucial areas in life and see where you can end up.
The aim is not enough
You need more than aim. Focus on the present. Make action towards that goal, each day. Only then can you achieve your full potential.
And here comes creating habits. Put the activities associated with your goal in your calendar and stick to this schedule. Do everything to make it a priority and to make it stick.
Your star will be moving
You’re not likely to hit your goal the first time. Your goal will be moving. But don’t be discouraged by that. Slowly but finally you’ll hit it.
Be careful what you aim at
Your aim is your vision. You declare what you see by your aim. That’s why you need to be careful about what you aim at.
Sometimes you might find yourself following the crowd. And it’s often a bad idea. People make a lot of mistakes. They constantly and unconsciously do things they regret later. Watching YT or playing video games the whole day and not having time for their responsibilities. They go to sleep late and then complain in the mornings.
That’s why they’re often also wrong about their goals. They try to impress other people. They want to have the most expensive car, to have what other people have because they think that will make them happy.
Don’t get me wrong. I used to make this kind of mistakes as well. The point that I’m making is that following others blindly might lead you into some bad places.
As Mark Twain once said: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
You might be also blinded by your ignorance.
Many people would like to be rich. Little they know that money won’t give you meaning. There are a lot of cases when people really felt down in their lives because they got rich.
So, be careful what you aim at.
Diffpath vs Normal Path
Diffpath:
- Walking a meaningful path
- Knowing what to do
- Transcending tragedies
- Achieving big goals
Normal Path:
- Lack of meaning
- Being overwhelmed
- Can’t handle the pain
- Achieving mediocre goals
What can you do right now?
Get your pen and paper and start writing how you see your future in 3 years. You can have what you want.. So, what do you want? Of course, there will be necessary sacrifices on the way to that goal. That’s why you need to choose something worthwhile.
Let your imagination wonder.
Define your life in many areas: relationship, professional development, family, friends, time outside work.
And then pursue it.
What’s the alternative? Do you have anything better to do?