Lofty Goals

Anyone that has known me for some time, probably knows, or will quickly discern that I’m a person of many goals, and I’m not afraid to share them.

BUT … some people are afraid. Whether it’s fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear that no one will support you, or just laziness, many do not share their goals.

My good friends Crab & Fish recently posted their own take on this very thing and while I can see their view, I disagree. But I don’t love them any less. Feel free to read their post before continuing, or read mine then go back to theirs.

Maybe their desire to keep their goals private stems from base experiences of sharing publicly and having those opinionated people on the world wide web post negative or unsupportive comments. At the end of their post, they discuss how they don’t need the judgment that comes with failure.

I’ve failed. And I admitted it on this blog. I’ll continue to fail. I said I was going to post weekly and I’ve failed at that.

And I will be the first to admit when my friends shared they would be posting this blog, and one goal that it stemmed from, my reaction was “I hate you” … but in that’s joking and loving way. I was quickly put in my spot, that even though I was joking, that was exactly what they were trying to avoid … others sharing opinions to sway them from achieving their goals, changing their plans, or telling them how they should it should be done.

I’m no afraid of sharing my goals. But, that doesn’t invite someone to give their opinion and project their own experiences on us. It’s MY goal. I’m going to do it MY way. And if I wanted help, I’ll certainly ask for it. I have recently had my own experience with someone in my life doing this very thing. I’ve spent many days and hours depending my choices and defending my timeline, instead of being encouraged with positive feedback that wasn’t laced with an alternative agenda.
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If we don’t share goals, you never know who might be out there to help make you achieve them when you are stuck. I have some lofty goals, some that cannot happen without someone more talented than myself, and in the case below, nothing I would have ever thought up myself.Years, and years ago, I used to write poetry. Aside from a random Roses are Red or moment in time, I haven’t written a new poem since I finished college and official creative writing classes. But a few weeks ago, Blackbird Singing by Paul McCartney landed in my lap and I made a comment that I used to write poetry to the man friend. Apparently that’s not something I talk about much because for all he knew I only write fiction. He made the suggestion that I tried to publish the manuscript I had already prepared … then went even further to suggest maybe he could turn some of my poetry into songs. He doesn’t write lyrics, but he can write music and come up with a tune. Would it be amazing if this happened? YES! Will it? I don’t know. We both have pretty crazy schedules alone with our normal activities. But maybe one day, you’ll see me posting a song with my words and his amazing voice.

This is just one example of sharing a goal that may never happen. I haven’t made it a secret that I love to write. But do I write every single day like it is suggested by pretty much every professional writer out there? Not in the capacity I would like, not in format I would like. I spend days writing emails and doing nerdy tech projects. I write lists and lists, over and over, of ideas and projects, and my brain is filled with 30 story ideas, ebook creations, video projects, and more. But creativity comes when the timing is right, and for me, personally, cannot be rushed or pushed.

If you put me in front of a blank screen every day for 30 minutes to write or to die, I cannot guarantee a word would be printed. Being forced into creativity, to think of an idea, or put something down when I’m not ready takes the passion and joy out of it for me. I don’t rely on writing books (at this moment) to create a sustainable living environment. It’s purely pleasure and fun. Why would I ruin that? November is Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Guess what I’ll be doing in November? Writing a novel!

Crab & Fish have a great system that works for them when it comes to creating their goals. I love it! Do I share all my goals online for the world? Nope. But do I share them with the people I surround myself with? Sure do! Crab & Fish may only know 1/3 of my goals for the year, or the month, or the week, while someone else (like my mom or the man friend) might hear a completely different 1/3 set of goals.

Here are a few examples of where sharing my goals has inspired me, lifted me up, encouraged me to keep going, and to keep sharing (because we never know who we end up inspiring along the way).

If you want me to share some of my major goals for the year, leave me a comment.

I encourage you to share your goals, even one, and ignore the haters. Because for every hater there are 30 people who have your back and want to see you succeed. My proof is below.