The Secret Brilliance Of Conscious Goals

This time of year (at least, as soon as the merriment of the season has faded and we’re back into the regular routine), many of us start thinking about goals. We want to make something better in our lives, and what better time to start than with the freshness and possibility of a brand-new year?

I would like to share a wonderful video with you, starring Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer, about setting the right kinds of goals…

Having the right kind of goals can make the difference between success and frustration. How many times have you set goals that you weren’t really enthusiastic about, just because you felt pressured to set some New Year’s resolutions? Those kinds of goals are virtually impossible to achieve, and worse, the whole process feels like an awful chore.

But when you set the right kind of goal… wow. Suddenly you’re on fire. You’re pulled by these strong urges that give you the energy you need. They motivate you. You get up in the morning and you can’t wait to get started.

Eckhart puts it brilliantly: you have this dream that wants to be expressed through you… you are the channel… and you simply help this dream come to life.

And there’s more: if you become too attached to the outcome, the whole process becomes stressful. You lose the playful and joyful spirit of creation, and instead get stuck in “how” and “when” and you start thinking about your limitations instead of this marvelous limitless potential.

Have you ever thought about goals as part of a spiritual practice? When you let go of the outcome, and simply flow with your inner urgings, you joyfully and effortlessly take inspired action. I say effortlessly, because even though it may be extremely difficult physically and mentally, it doesn’t feel like “work” – it’s just a beautiful challenge that you immerse yourself in.

As Eckhart says, “you enjoy the doing, in the now.” It’s about the enjoyment of the energy of doing, in the present, that is the Flow state where you come into your power in the most amazing ways. And as Wayne Dyer adds, in this state, your mind transcends limitations. So even if a goal doesn’t go quite the way you envisioned, the process of awakening your dormant forces while you’re in the Flow of a goal, is worth every second, every drop of sweat, and every tear.

You can’t say that about a goal you don’t want in the first place! So how do you set goals that are meaningful to you and will put you in that magical Flow state?

I encourage you to meditate on what you really want in life. Take the time to become completely honest and open to the urgings of your soul – especially if the dream you have for yourself is so intimidating that you can’t even fathom how you would ever achieve it. Just sit with that goal – envision it, let it grow – and let it percolate through your mind. Focus on what you want, and you will receive the inspiration and means to make it happen!

As Henry David Thoreau said…

“If you advance confidently in the direction of your own dreams and endeavour to live the life which you have imagined you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours, it will chase you!”

We’d love to hear your thoughts on goal setting in the comments below!