Do you set personal goals for yourself?
Do I set personal goals? I used to. These days, I’m not so sure. It’s not that I’ve become less ambitious. I think I’ve become ambitious about different things.
Looking back, I’ve achieved most of the goals I set for myself. I wanted to work as a parish minister, complete a doctorate, lecture at university, develop continuing education courses, and grow my leadership capacities. Along the way, I’ve had opportunities to bring together my interests in mathematics, theology, creativity, education and leadership.
I’ve been fortunate. Not everything worked out as planned, but I’ve been able to do most of the things that mattered to me.
Of course, I still have goals. But increasingly, they’re less about career development and more about empowering others.
I continue to cultivate habits that shape who I am becoming. Writing each morning, walking, reading, learning and spending time with people. These aren’t particularly ambitious activities, but they help me remain curious, thoughtful and open to change.
Earlier in life, my goals were largely concerned with what I wanted to achieve and the person I hoped to become. Now there’s another question that interests me more: Who might benefit from the person I’ve become?
I find enormous satisfaction in helping others discover their abilities, grow in confidence, develop their character and realise possibilities they hadn’t previously imagined.
Perhaps that’s how ambition changes over time. We move from asking what we might achieve ourselves to wondering what we might make possible for others.
I still set personal goals. It’s just that increasingly, their success is measured by what happens in someone else’s life.
Do you set personal goals for yourself?
View all responses
Leave a Reply