I’ve talked at length in the past about setting realistic goals, and planning each step of your self improvement journey intelligently and carefully, but I think that I’ve failed to mention one very important point that needs to be mentioned. And it’s this: That doesn’t mean that there’s actually a greater end goal.
Oh sure, sometimes there will be smaller to intermediate goals, such as finding a new job, for example. But the grander journey, in actuality, never ends. You’re always going to be growing, if you’re smart about it. And I’m pretty sure you are. And you should always want to learn and grow. And I’m pretty sure you do.
And that’s the point, actually. I don’t want you to get scared off or intimidated by the prospect of having to work on yourself forever, because that’s what you should want to do.
Too often, someone will go through the trouble of trying to improve their life with the idea that they’ll get to a certain point and that’s it. They’re done. But it doesn’t work that way. How could it?
And it really isn’t work in the way most people think.
Think about your own past experiences. And think about how you’ve changed and grown over the years due to everything you’ve seen and done, and your encounters with others. Think of all of the people you’ve met who have made an impact on your life, and therefore altered your development for the better.
Why would you want that to end?
The truth is, it won’t. Unless you become a hermit or something like that. Otherwise, you’ll always meet new people and experience new things. And that means that you will always continue to develop.
Once again, I’ll use my kung fu training as an example. We get some new students every now and then who think that they’re supposed to put in a certain amount of time, or a certain number of years, and then they will have completed their kung fu training, and know all there is to know. Then, I guess, they’re expecting to move on to something else and master that, too. Those people always seem to be in a hurry. They want to load as many achievements under their belt as they can in as little time as they can. And they usually quit before achieving any of them, as a result.
Once again, it doesn’t work that way. We have a saying that roughly says that once you get your black belt, that’s when you start learning. I may have reached the sifu (instructor) level, but I’m still learning. And my sifu, he’s still learning, too. And his sifu is still learning, too.
And that’s really the point of it. If you accept that you’ll be learning for the rest of your life, then you come to realize that there is no hurry. And you become more patient, and so you stay with it and continue to improve.
Well, the same is true of your personal development. When you come to realize that there’s no hurry, and that you can always make improvements, and learn and change, then you naturally calm down, relieve a whole lot of stress, live more peacefully, and continue to grow.
Yes, you can have goals, and you can achieve them. I’ve always said that, and I encourage it. But you can also always change and grow if you’re smart and pay attention, and if you do it with the right perspective and state of mind. I encourage that, too.
Besides, you’ve got an average of 70-80 years on this planet. What are you going to do with all that time if you’ve “finished” everything already, anyway?
Article Source: http://www.knowaboutyourself.com