Goals: Your Compass, Not Your Cage

Let’s talk about goals. Everyone loves to hype them up—vision boards, SMART frameworks, accountability buddies. And sure, they’re important. Goals give you a sense of direction, a reason to lace up and get in the game. But here’s the twist: goals aren’t everything.

Think about it. If you hit every milestone but end up exhausted, miserable, or questioning why you even started, was the grind worth it? For me, goals aren’t rigid checkboxes. They’re a compass, not a cage. They point me toward something exciting, but they don’t lock me into a single, suffocating route.

Here’s the thing: the process matters. The messy, unpredictable, sometimes magical journey is where life really happens. It’s where you learn, stumble, laugh, and grow. It’s where the real wins are. If I’m working toward something, I want to enjoy getting there. I want to look back and think, “Man, that was worth every step.”

Sure, I’ve got goals—plenty of them. But they’re more about the adventure than the arrival. A few might have timelines or specific steps, but most? They’re just me, walking a path I love, with room to stop and enjoy the view.

So set your goals. Chase them fiercely. But don’t forget to pause, breathe, and soak in the ride. After all, what’s the point if you’re not living along the way?

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Mitch Jackson | links