The Horizon Problem
I am not a huge fan of goal setting as it is traditionally taught. I will outline how I set and achieve goals (I call them objectives) in another post but I want to start by sharing with you some ideas on how to view your life when you don’t seem to be getting anywhere.
Most of us are striving for something greater. In this blog, we talk about more life. Bigger, Better, Faster, More, etc. And there is nothing inherently wrong with having a bigger tomorrow than today. As humans, we are hard wired to improve our lot in life.
But there is a problem if all we do is focus on our goals and our tomorrows. We tend to fixate on the future much of the time and it is really only an illusion. Much like the horizon when you are traveling by car in the expanse of the American plains or other wide open spaces, flying in a plane, or when on a boat on the ocean. The horizon is a fictional point in space where the sky meets the ground or the ocean. And isn’t it the case the where you want to be or what you are seeking is just beyond the horizon? But if you think about it, you can never really reach the horizon, can you? It, and anything just beyond are figments of you imagination. I think it is this knowledge that creates frustration and unhappiness. Unnecessarily so I might add.
What’s the cure?
Every some often, say once or month or so. Just stop, turn around, and look at the path you have just walked down. It is only from this perspective that you can see how far you have come…how much you have grown. Take some time to reflect on the journey thus far. What has been accomplished? What had been learned? What have you discarded? What have you added? As the old Virginia Slims cigarette advertising used to say…”you’ve come a long way baby!”. Now celebrate!
