Summary

The article suggests that while goals are valuable for motivation and self-improvement, they should not be the sole source of motivation due to their impermanent nature and the potential for creating a cycle of dissatisfaction.

Abstract

The author acknowledges the power of goals as tools for enhancing motivation and achieving dreams. However, they caution against the over-reliance on goals as a source of motivation, emphasizing that goals are transient and their achievement can lead to a void, perpetuating a cycle of dissatisfaction. Drawing from philosophical and Buddhist perspectives, the article argues that the true value lies in the pursuit of meaningful objectives beyond the mere accomplishment of goals. It posits that motivation should stem from the intrinsic worth of the endeavor rather than the external validation of achieving a goal. The article encourages readers to critically evaluate their goals and ensure that their motivation is aligned with the significance of their pursuits, rather than the ephemeral satisfaction of goal attainment.

Opinions

Goals are seen as akin to bacon, enhancing any endeavor but not inherently valuable.
The author believes that the pursuit of goals can lead to a paradoxical state of temporary satisfaction followed by a sense of emptiness once the goal is achieved.
Philosophers and the teachings of Buddhism are referenced to suggest that the cycle of dissatisfaction, labor, and goal-achievement is a source of suffering and that desire should be eradicated to end this cycle.
The article asserts that some struggles are worthwhile, implying that not all efforts in pursuit of goals are pointless or devoid of meaning.
It is argued that the intrinsic value of an action or pursuit, not the achievement of a goal, should be the primary motivator.
The author encourages readers to subscribe to their personal blog for more insights on the intersection of Eastern philosophies and contemporary culture.

If Goals Are Your Source Of Motivation, Stop Immediately

Goals. Are. Awesome.

Used right, they are effective tools for improving yourself and achieving your dreams.

For instance, I recently experimented with unreasonably high goals and found that they totally drive accomplishment.

I also feel that goals make any endeavor more exciting. They are like bacon: whatever you add them to, they’re going to make it better.

But your goal shouldn’t be the thing that’s pulling you forward. If it is, then something is seriously wrong.

The paradox of goals

A goal is something that goes away once you hit it.

Goals condemn one to go through a process where one has an unsatisfied desire, works to satisfy the desire and experiences pleasant but temporary feelings of desire-satisfaction as a byproduct when one reaches the goal.

What follows, is a void:

“This is the inner paradox of goals — they are valuable when we try to accomplish them, but someday they will disappear.” — Charles Chu

If you need goals to feel like your existence has a purpose, you’ll get addicted to them.

Some philosophers even think that humans cannot withdraw from the cycle of dissatisfaction → labor → goal-achievement and choose to stay happy.

I don’t think that’s accurate, but in pointing to the emptiness of a goal-driven life, their argument relates to an important lesson — the truth of Buddhism.

Not really there

I’ve been meditating for over 10 years now and the mindfulness-mantra that “all labels are fake” has always attracted me.

It sounds catchy and incredibly liberating, but when a non-meditating friend recently asked me to explain what it actually means I wasn’t able to break it down.

To my own pleasure, when I was traveling from my hometown in the Netherlands to Budapest (where I’m doing my doctorate), something clicked. In a strange way, the meaning of ‘labels are fake’ sheds light on how we can go wrong with goals.

What does “label” mean? In this context, a ‘label’ means an ‘evaluation’. Something was ‘successful’ or ‘unsuccessful’, you did ‘well’ or you ‘screwed up’. You ‘made it’ or you ‘failed’.

What does “fake” mean? (This is where it gets cool.)

In this context, ‘fake’ means not inherently existing. Such evaluations are not factual properties of states of affairs.

They are not really there.

The small problem with goals

If “labels” don’t naturally exist, we can ask, ‘What put them there?’

The answer is ‘goals’. Goals put them there.

Without a goal, you can’t fall short. Without a metric, you can’t be inadequate.

These benchmarks, moreover, are projections of our mind.

They don’t really exist.

That, I think, is the truth in the Buddhist lesson that labels are illusory.

The Buddha even takes it a step further: because suffering comes from wanting, we should eradicate desire.

The deduction that we could put an end to some pain if we would stop creating the possibility of failure, is apt. The conclusion that we, therefore, should stop fighting, is not.

Some struggles are worth it.

Which brings me to the deeper argument for why your motivation shouldn’t come from your goals.

Not the right reason (the big problem with goals)

The number one argument for why achieving goals shouldn’t be your core incentive is that

Goals are not the right cause for motivation

By itself, there is nothing good about achieving goals. Ticking off objectives has no intrinsic value. It doesn’t matter how fast you move if it’s in a pointless direction.

Many people spend too much time on optimizing their strategy, and not enough on questioning whether they’re chasing worthwhile aims in the first place.

If you need targets to bring in the energy and motivation, you’re probably doing something that’s not meaningful enough by itself.

What’s pulling you forward should be your recognition that what you’re trying to attain is worth it. Motivation should be a side effect of that.

The right reason for doing something is provided by facts about the thing that you’re trying to achieve, which make it something that is worth achieving.

By the same token, making a goal out of something does not suddenly make it valuable or important. Many people have unimportant goals.

In a nutshell: there’s a deep difference between achieving goals and achieving something of importance.

Don’t lose sight of that.

There’s more to that

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