For flow, we need three levels of goals. At least, this is the interpretation. Flow is a complex state, and I doubt the same prescriptions hold for everybody. I agree that these could be handy though, so I am going to start piecing together the high-level ones, then set smaller ones that I can start pursuing today.
First: the mission. What is a life goal, that I would forsake the disciplined pursuit of all other goals for? This needs to be meaningful, and has to excite a deeper part of you. Just wanting to make as much money as possible just won’t do it. This is the one which you want to look back on your death bed upon and smile, and feel that it was a life worth living. At the same time, I want it to be attainable, lest I be overwhelmed by the magnitude. For instance, intending to reverse climate change is way too intimidating. At some point the sheer magnitude of it will make you give up and drive you to lying on the couch eating pizza. There can be a great relief in giving up an impossible goal.
Simultaneously, your goal can’t be too attainable. It will need to be at the outer edge of human possibility. Thus, if you want to save the planet, committing to getting everybody on your street to recycle is probably not enough.
At this point, I can’t say that I have a single purpose I can write down, that will get me out of bed in the morning. I have done the exercises in The Art of Impossible, and wrote down a few options, and none of them gets me going in the way I want to. Maybe we are wired in different ways, and should take that into account when setting our goals and purposes. As I have repeatedly pointed out, I like to think in terms of the process rather than the end-goal.
Perhaps I need to design a life, rather than focus on one specific goal. At the same time, I need something to help me go on when I am tired and knocked down.
The focus on contribution, on something bigger, is necessary for me. When doing something for yourself, you can more easily get discouraged and throw in the towel. When you self-worth is low, you will not put in the effort for yourself. If you are focusing on others, you might just be inspired to go that extra mile, even when you are tired and feeling like shit. Not that I am recommending martyrdom – taking care of ourselves will be a big part of this process.
I find myself being called to the keyboard. There are few things that would entice me from an open fire, grilling some meat and having a beer, and yet I want to get back to writing. I have definitely found my “how”. What you need to do with your life is the thing that keeps you awake thinking about – in a good way.
The process is the thing. Achieving goals is great, but you must have realized by now that the thrill lasts a very, ver short time. But without the goals, the process itself loses its shine. The process is most of your life; actually achieving goals is minuscule, time-wise. So make sure the process satisfies. Do not expect goals to bring you happiness, and do not celebrate them too much. They are merely signposts in your development.
The Flow Diaries 