“What you get by achieving your goals is as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Zig Ziglar
Musings: What Have You Discovered?
Derek Sivers: Keep your goals to yourself
Recently, I took a moment to watch two relatively short TEDx videos. Derek’s was about the importance of keeping our goals close to the vest and not dissipating the momentum or energy of the goal by over-sharing it with others. The second video (below) spoke about that all consuming word – Passion. Larry suggests that we make excuses about pursuing our passion or we settle for less and that unless we act, we won’t accomplish much. It would be interesting to hear how you have applied both in your life. Hence the question: What have you discovered about goals and passion? (abbreviated in my post title). I was raised in a culture where we kept our dearest and deepest goals a secret until the work was done and the goal accomplished. The belief was that when we share too much, we attract negative, envious energy that can derail our plans. Or as Derek points out, by sharing our goals, we trick the brain into believing the goal is accomplished and it’s time to move on to other goals.
While I can’t 100% prove the veracity of that belief, what I’ve discovered over the years is that when I’ve put my mind to a thing and worked quietly on it, it bore fruit. When I’ve shouted a plan all over town, sometimes it didn’t. Anecdotal? Sure, but I suspect there might be some truth to the premise. Of course, a distinction is made between standard goals and treasured goals and it’s up to us to figure out which carries the most weight. For instance, for some, going to college is a standard goal but running a radio station might represent their deeper goal. Before I go further, I’d say that we are all born with innate talents and gifts. Motivation, focus, hard work, serendipity and other factors help shape our progress. What do you think? More below!
