Moving targets

I think we can all agree that nothing lasts forever. You say this to a friend and they’ll nod thoughtfully. But we still spend so much of our lives chasing after a never-ending series of goals. But aren’t they impermanent too? For example, I plan on running in a marathon this year. That’s about as SMART as a goal gets. Without any other context, it’s a goal that seems incredibly valuable.

• The training will promote good, healthy habits
• I will be able to connect with local runners
• I enjoy running so it allows me to do something I enjoy
• Successfully completing the marathon will fill me with a sense of accomplishment and other good feelings

And yet I can’t help but feel like even a goal as stable and time-honoured as that can be subject to unforeseen changes.

• I could move to a new city this year and push the marathon day back
• I could run in the marathon but not complete it
• Heck, I could even find a different hobby and no longer be interested in doing the marathon

I’m not just thinking about failure conditions, what I’m trying to get it is the mutable nature of things. So much can change in our lives that causes us to reassess what we really want. Even in the day-to-day – we’re constantly deciding what’s worth it for us and what isn’t.

I think goals are great tools in the toolbox of life. But sometimes it’s helpful to remember that in reality, they’re really just buoys in this vast ocean we find ourselves in. Useful for pointing you in the right direction.