Some goals take a decade or even two. Atleast I've noticed for myself this is true in looking back. Maybe a message about not giving up. And that for such decade in the making goal, it requires constant invention for motivation. Sort of like an endless parade of muses, metaphors, transformational thinking, etc. I think it's a natural way of living but the issue for logical or cerebral thinkers is that we can't stop staring it all in the face and then writing about it. I guess for me goals are more like ghosts than mountains? Haunting, speaking through various channels, leaving signs to be seen and found, and all figments of the mind. But it's boring to imagine a life already set. That the book will be written, the YouTube channel launched and popular, the family found and created, and the whole life lived. It's terrifying even the idea of a prescripted life made up of monumental goals. Sorry for the long comment!!! Just my reaction.
That's a very interesting idea - haunting ghosts that appear in different channels with varying intensity. And the idea that a goal finished is a terrifying reminder of being closer to death.. love the comment!
I agree that some goals take a long time, and lots of motivation, which is why it's so important to be thought about the 'and then what'.
I think those goals need to be balanced against that step-by-step unfolding that gives energy with each interaction and allows us to remain open and flexible and present.
“the list of goals turned my gaze outward and to the future. All I could see was the mountain, the distance, the obstacles. When things didn’t work, I could blame the world. That prevented me from being more aware of my inner state.”
Hi. I am a new subscriber and read this article based on your publishing it and then my getting it by email. I ike to know such things myself so I give such things to others. Context.
Some take aways: Help one person with one problem. Teach one thing.
It was as if the mountains changed shape when I slept. Really liked this line. Purpose as always relational. Also quite interesting. The meaning of life as “growth, contribution, connection, and creativity.” Purpose can show up in “millions of ways.””
A note: Anytime I read a write like this or hear a podcast or see a YouTube , whatever the format, the dilemma is the same and it both surprises me and doesn’t, how how very similar our “goals” are, almost exactly the same. How is it that we are so individually “different” yet pretty much want the same things. Is that interesting, I wonder.
Interesting concept about goals not being alive. Going to think about that.
Later the same day I read this, which was the day you posted it, I ended up writing an article about goals, which felt a bit uncanny that I was writing it. By the time I finished, I had lost track of your article, but when it came back to mind, I wondered about the influence it may have had, in how I got to writing what I did. It was about bad habits to keep, if any of this catches any of your interest. I thought it might in the specific container of being “goal averse” in some ways. https://open.substack.com/pub/kymology/p/the-bad-habits-im-keeping-in-2025
Some goals take a decade or even two. Atleast I've noticed for myself this is true in looking back. Maybe a message about not giving up. And that for such decade in the making goal, it requires constant invention for motivation. Sort of like an endless parade of muses, metaphors, transformational thinking, etc. I think it's a natural way of living but the issue for logical or cerebral thinkers is that we can't stop staring it all in the face and then writing about it. I guess for me goals are more like ghosts than mountains? Haunting, speaking through various channels, leaving signs to be seen and found, and all figments of the mind. But it's boring to imagine a life already set. That the book will be written, the YouTube channel launched and popular, the family found and created, and the whole life lived. It's terrifying even the idea of a prescripted life made up of monumental goals. Sorry for the long comment!!! Just my reaction.
That's a very interesting idea - haunting ghosts that appear in different channels with varying intensity. And the idea that a goal finished is a terrifying reminder of being closer to death.. love the comment!
I agree that some goals take a long time, and lots of motivation, which is why it's so important to be thought about the 'and then what'.
I think those goals need to be balanced against that step-by-step unfolding that gives energy with each interaction and allows us to remain open and flexible and present.
"Then there’s the issue of the mountain behind the mountain. How often do we climb Mount Money while thinking about Mount Meaning later?"
“the list of goals turned my gaze outward and to the future. All I could see was the mountain, the distance, the obstacles. When things didn’t work, I could blame the world. That prevented me from being more aware of my inner state.”
Beautiful. Essential. Important.
Thank you, James!
Great stuff. Thanks.
Hi. I am a new subscriber and read this article based on your publishing it and then my getting it by email. I ike to know such things myself so I give such things to others. Context.
Some take aways: Help one person with one problem. Teach one thing.
It was as if the mountains changed shape when I slept. Really liked this line. Purpose as always relational. Also quite interesting. The meaning of life as “growth, contribution, connection, and creativity.” Purpose can show up in “millions of ways.””
A note: Anytime I read a write like this or hear a podcast or see a YouTube , whatever the format, the dilemma is the same and it both surprises me and doesn’t, how how very similar our “goals” are, almost exactly the same. How is it that we are so individually “different” yet pretty much want the same things. Is that interesting, I wonder.
Interesting concept about goals not being alive. Going to think about that.
Later the same day I read this, which was the day you posted it, I ended up writing an article about goals, which felt a bit uncanny that I was writing it. By the time I finished, I had lost track of your article, but when it came back to mind, I wondered about the influence it may have had, in how I got to writing what I did. It was about bad habits to keep, if any of this catches any of your interest. I thought it might in the specific container of being “goal averse” in some ways. https://open.substack.com/pub/kymology/p/the-bad-habits-im-keeping-in-2025