Dreams vs Goals

Peeking

This time of year the whole world seems to be abuzz with New Years resolutions. Personally I've never been a fan. The idea of starting something positive shouldn't be reserved for some arbitrarily-picked date on a calendar.

However my rant this year is a bit different. I've had several recent conversations with my younger sister about goals and the "necessity" of a five year life plan. On one hand I'm generally for whatever motivates a positive change in someone's life. But spelling out exactly what you think you want seems a recipe for disaster.

I've also had several "what do you want in life" conversations with both my partner and my friend's partner. The idea that I don't have what most people consider 'goals' blows them away.  They seem to equate "no goals" with "no drive for self growth / improvement". Two completely different things people!

One of the core tenants of Buddhism is that unhappiness stems from wanting things we don't have. And making a five year plan seems like writing that list of "don't haves" down.

Goals like "This year I'm going to get a raise, a promotion, a new job, etc..." seem, in my mind, counter-productive. In martial arts terms by stating exactly what you "think" you want you've created a post. And as any good martial artist knows the first person to create a post loses.

From my point of view my stating the thing people think they want they limit themselves to that possibility and generally miss other, better opportunities. Its like developing tunnel vision or putting on a set of blinders.

Down with blinders!!!

Even the phrase "goal" makes me break out in the heebie-jeebies. Let's call them dreams instead. Or visions. Or whatever. And they should be more like haiku, a verbal embodiment of a feeling. And never ever have an arbitrary deadline attached.

Spring rain

Under trees -

A crystal stream

.... Basho

So in that context and hopefully to inspire others to be a bit less literal in their own lists here's mine. Not for New Years or 2014 but just because...

To spend time with people I enjoy

To discover cool things and take awesome photos

To express myself creatively

To try new things

To be in balance between all the different areas of my life

To have fun every day

To be financially comfortable

And the awesome thing is that whatever form the realization of these dreams take I'm fine with.  Because I didn't limit myself to a specific job title or a bank account balance or getting into a specific art show. And if expressing myself creatively leads to black tutus and pink skull shirts then hey, I'm an artist and I've learned its okay to be eccentric :-)

visit Samantha Byrnes' gallery online...