Imagine standing on the lawn at the home of Bill Gates, one of the guests at his annual barbecue. You’ve won the ultimate prize, a job at Microsoft and an opportunity to meet the man himself in person.
Getting that job at Microsoft was a long time in the making. It took years of hard work and sacrifice to get into one of the best engineering universities in the world. Countless more hours of study to get the required qualifications.
You’d finally made it!
And yet, you hate the job. You sit at work wishing the hours away because deep down you don’t really want to be there. You’d worked so hard to get there, yet you feel empty and worse still, a total fraud.
That is the story of Vishen Lakhiani, best-selling author and founder of MindValley Academy. He’s gone on to become what he considers truly successful, living life on his terms, a life full of meaning and excitement.
But imagine how he felt back then. He’d worked all his life, achieved his biggest goal, only to discover that it wasn’t what he really wanted. Imagine feeling like you’d made the biggest mistake of your life.
Could you be pursuing the wrong goals?
Are you steamrolling through life in pursuit of your goals? Are you making progress yet still feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled? As impressive as your achievements are do they seem disconnected from a deeper sense of purpose?
That’s not surprising.
You can get trapped by the rules of family and society and do what is expected of you. You strive to be what others want you to be and to fulfil their dreams for your life. When was the last time you checked whether the path you’re on is one you’ve chosen. Is it possible that you’re headed in a direction you don’t really want to go?
You could keep going as you are but it’s a risky proposition
Here’s the thing. The fulfilment, confidence and sense of purpose you crave won’t come if you’re pursuing the wrong goals. Each day left unexamined increases the risk of you one day waking up to ask: ‘What’s it all for?’ A life spent on autopilot that leaves you lamenting: ‘Is this all there is?’
Don’t make the mistake of spending your life chasing the wrong goals, goals that deep down don’t really matter.
Life’s gift to you every day
Life can be challenging but it’s generous too. No matter what has gone on before, it gives you an opportunity each day to make a different choice. You have a chance to be different and to do something different if you want.
“Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change.” Jim Rohn
Whether you’re a mid-lifer yearning for more or ready to reinvent yourself. Maybe you’re stuck in a rut or standing at a major crossroad in your life. The time is now. All you have to do is decide to act.
Take charge today and decide who it is you want to be
It was Stephen Covey who said:
‘If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.’
Make today the day you stop and take stock.
- Where is your life going right now?
- What ladder are you climbing and where will you be when you reach the top?
- Is it really what you want?
If the answer is no, now is the time to figure it out. Decide who you want to be and consciously and deliberately choose your goals.
- What do you want to accomplish in your life?
- Why do you want it?
- What actions do you need to take to move in that direction?
Feel a sense of purpose and excitement as you climb the ladder to a goal you’ve chosen. One that allows you to add value to your life and others. Let a compelling vision of the future you desire spur you on and never run the risk of creating a life of great accomplishments yet inside you’re filled with regret.
Now over to you.
Could your ladder be leaning on the wrong wall?
How can you reset and refocus today?
Let me know in the comments.