Quotes about Goals

The superior man perseveres long in his course, adapts to the times, but remains firm in his direction and correct in his goals."

In any activity, we have to know what to expect, how to reach our objectives and what capacity we possess for the proposed task. The only people who can say they have renounced the fruit are those who, thus equipped, feel no desire for the results of the conquest, and remain absorbed in combat. You can renounce the fruit, but this renunciation does not mean indifference toward the result.

When we give up our goals and concentrate diligently on the practices of our lives, we increase self-mastery and move toward the invisible universe, toward Spirit, to receive the wonders and miracles the universe has to offer us.

Talent alone doesn't get you anywhere, you have to work at achieving your goals using your talent that's the key of success.

Let go of the idea that the path will lead you to your goal.  The truth is that with each step we take, we arrive.  Repeat that to yourself every morning: 'I've arrived.'  That way you'll find it much easier to stay in touch with each second of your day.

Your will is the ego part of you that believes you're separate from others, separate from what you'd like to accomplish or have, and separate from God. It also believes that you are your acquisitions, achievements, and accolades. This ego will wants you to constantly acquire evidence of your importance... On the other hand, your imagination is the concept of Spirit within you. ...with imagination, we have the power to be anything we desire to be.

...thinking from the end causes me to behave as if all that I'd like to create is already here. My credo is: Imagine myself to be and I shall be, and it's an image that I keep with me at all times.

"You are never dedicated to something that you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it's going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt."

Our struggle to put first things first can be characterized by the contrast between two powerful tools that direct us: the clock and the compass.  The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities -- what we do with, and how we manage our time.  The compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction -- what we feel is important and how we lead our lives.  In an effort to close the gap between the clock and the compass in our lives, many of us turn to the field of "time management."

The function of an ideal is not to be realized but, like that of the North Star, to serve as a guiding point.

Sometimes we guard people from the truth to protect them from being hurt, but by doing that we only hurt them more in the long run.

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

My wants are simple: to live long and happy, and to help others do the same. Getting it is a different story.

Having a goal can help make dreams into reality.

Motivation and desire are the bulldozers that move obstacles to your goal.

Everyone must have a fantasy.

When you want something, something so true and pure, something that deep in your heart you know it's worth risking, then one must follow that path. But like any other path, there are obstacles, there are hardships, there will be sacrifices. One has to constantly question whether this path is worth traveling and how far along the path we must go... the choice is ours.

Think with your heart, intuition is greater than logic.

When you want something, go get it. Period.

A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there.  With enough effort, he may achieve it.  Or he may find something that is even more rewarding.  But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.

"those who've abandoned their dreams, will discourage yours"

I do say there's a difference between being goal-free and goal-less. I'm definitely not an advocate of being goal-less, which is being lost and directionless, and sitting on your butt eating bon-bons, watching Jerry Springer. To me, goal-free is moving forward through life with purpose and passion, but not knowing how it's going to turn out. And not caring how it turns out, I guess, is probably even more important.

One interesting thing I did was to predict people's Myers-Briggs type, if they didn't already know it. It was pretty interesting that nearly 100 percent of the successful goal-free people were Extroverted-Intuiter-Perceivers.

The people who were goal-free but not successful tend to be introverts. If you're not going to get out there and play big, and meet people and have fun, and really go full-out with passion and gusto, it's hard for you to allow things to come together in a synchronistic way. But the Judgers out there love their goals.

My suggestion is that we should have a sense of direction and let life unfold naturally, rather than trying to force it down a particular path, which is what we typically try to do. This will allow you to have a much more experiential view of life, allowing life to come to you. You will meander and weave, and change direction as you find the things you're really passionate about.

Goal-Free Living is the antidote to our achievement-oriented society. Basically since birth, we've been taught that we should be setting and achieving goals, and working hard toward goals. And for some people, that works. Some people enjoy a goal-oriented life. But for many people, all that does is create stress and dissatisfaction.

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

...you have to design with positive principles and positive goals. Modern industrial culture doesn’t seem to have principles, except something like: “If brute force isn’t working, you are not using enough of it.” While its goals are unclear, its de facto goal appears to be to create ecological and human tragedy. If you play a game, you have to have a clear goal; in chess, you’re going to take a king. So we have an end game in mind because without this strategy becomes meaningless. What we seek is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world, with clean water, air, soil and power, that is economically, equitably, ecologically, and elegantly enjoyed.

The only way to successfuly manifest the life you desire... is to keep trying until you are successful!

"You will miss 100% of the shots you never take". ~ Wayne Gretzky 
"Decide today that your goals are worth shooting for". ~ Della Credicott

The most critical case in a corporation, especially a big one, is when everything goes well, when you have accomplished your objectives. When the temptation is to work twice as hard instead of saying, "We have accomplished our objectives, we have to think again."

Go, speed the stars of Thought On to their shining goals; -- The sower scatters broad his seed, The wheat thou strew'st be souls. Ralph Waldo Emerson  Source: Intellect-- from Essays: First Series (1841)

When it looks like everyone is against you, look inside for the truth.