Do you have long term goals?

Waking up tomorrow morning becomes a goal when you get older.
Goals are hard work and hard work is only good when it is a pleasure that you enjoy doing. Setting the bar high means its a long drop at the other side so be objective with your goals.

[Littlepeahead]

I can't be bothered with all the cut throat ambitious stuff. When they restructured at work last year they were really pressuring me to go for the job of Head of Media, but I knew I wouldn't get it as a male colleague had his head so far up the CEO's bottom that it was pointless to apply. So they then said 'OK well in that case we'll make you Deputy Head' and I said no to that too. I didn't want to do it so I asked what my redundancy package would be. Shocked faces all round from the management.

The deputy CEO then took me aside and asked what I really enjoyed doing. I said that sitting in committee meetings and writing press releases now bored me to death. But I enjoyed taking photos, doing all the coordination of the film crews and photographers and had a real interest in managing the picture library full time. Plus I love the heritage of cricket and the Ground so get me into that more. Oh and a pay rise and new office would be nice if you're asking.

I got the lot. And hoping today the company will also agree to funds my City and Guilds photography course over the next 2 years.

I've been here 10 years and worked hard and it showed they value me enough not just to stop me leaving but to create a job to fit my strengths. So I guess I've achieved the current goals and now just have to find some new ones.

[Fallout]

Fair play Clare. Cut throat ambition is really only for people who see a pedestal they think represents success, when really they are incapable of defining their own.

My only goal is happiness and fulfilment. Haven't got a clue how to achieve that. Whether it's living somewhere, surrounding myself with people I like, or making changes in myself ... or all three, I don't know. Haven't a clue.

I guess my goal is to understand what makes me tick and get myself ticking more regularly. I kind of need people to help me find those things. Last time I really ticked was in Yorkshire. Need to do more ticking like that.

Also Clare, your sig has a sense of irony in this thread.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by femaleacid

I guess that's quite true!
I don't like to plan because there can always be something to change our paths
I don't think I even know what I want in life yet. Sometime soon I want to be living on my own two feet though most definitely.

Thats what life deals I'm afraid...paths to choose.
Sure as DT says chasing too bigger dream can lead to a bigger drop back to earth, alternatively a quick unplanned change of path can lead to something great.
I've lived my life hash dash, stereotypically when I was younger, then by no plan at all I bought my house at 23, single. Then came my first son, and a big plan for the bike license. Lots of ups and downs since.

Sometimes people chase dreams thinking at the end of the rainbow there will be much greatness and satisfaction, then one day you take a look at whats within and realise what is great haas actually been there all along, or right in front of your own eyes.

I visited my cousin last night, we have a very distant relationship for whatever reason, and she lives literally down the end of the alley on the end of my street. We say hello to each other at school and thats it.
My dad had called me to say she was going into hospital Monday, as she has breast cancer.
Obviously she was surprised to see me, as I never go to her house. I asked her if she was ok, and she told me she'd been to have biopsies, and at first had been told it was a word I finished for her, as she couldn't remember....fibrous adenoma
'how did you know?' 'Because I've got one of those, I've had the tests too' 'Really, oh I had no idea' 'Yeah, I'm riddled with tumours around my womb too'

For the first time in probably decades since our childhood, we had a proper conversation, I'm shocked that at 42, shes suddenly been and had the brakes put on her life, shes shocked at me potentially living with a timebomb, and have been doing for a year or three, I'm only 35.
People don't say enough to each other, as I said to her when I left, 'maybe now its not too late to stop ignoring each other so much'


Life is precious, whatever path you choose, good and bad **** happens....and theres always room for grumpy opinions, makes it all a bit more colourful

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Fallout

Cut throat ambition is really only for people who see a pedestal they think represents success, when really they are incapable of defining their own.

This describes my boss and several people I've worked for in the past. Seeing them get stressed out trying to ingratiate themselves with anyone senior to them made me realise early on I did not want to do the same. I'm the one cracking jokes in meetings and lightening the mood. Life is way too short for some of the goals people set for themselves, as Dizzy's post above shows. Life should be a joy, not a slog.

none
ive had all my dreams and inspirations ripped out of me by the first 30 years ive been on this earth

[QUOTE=dizzyblonde;2754818]You have to be in your fifties?

You don't have to be anything except yourself.



Some years ago my wife was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukeamia. She underwent all the chemo and a B/M transplant without whinging or complaining about it, without worrying about what may have been, without wallowing in self pity or being bitter about shattered dreams.
IF I contributed even a tenth of one percent towards her getting through that, then anything else I achieve on this miserable f#cking planet is a bonus.

Long term goals, for me at at least, were driven by financial/materialistic requirements. Not because of greed, but because of my competitive nature and the determination to get precisely where I am. Money does not buy good health, I'm well aware of that. Neither can it buy happiness.

It can buy all sorts of other things though and, importantly, give you and your family the time to enjoy them.

Without short/long term goals (spiritual/fiscal/whatever) to motivate you, what's the point?

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by Small Clanger

[Qhave to be in your fifties?
You don't have to be anything except yourself.


It can buy all sorts of other things though and, importantly, give you and your family the time to enjoy them.

Without short/long term goals (spiritual/fiscal/whatever) to motivate you, what's the point?

Ahh well that's ok then me is me, no matter who might find that offensive, weird, not normal or generally not to the usual requirement! Happy in the skin I'm in, well ok maybe a few golf balls dissapearing would be nice, not likely though

Precisely what I thought, what's the point! Who cares if things don't go precisely to plan? That's what part of the adventure isn't it? As they say, you don't get anywhere if you don't try, but its when you do it that counts... Just because I can't go to deepest darkest Peru on a trip now, doesn't mean I can't try go when I'm 62!!

Simple, earn as much coin as possible then retire on it and do everything Ive seen in my life that I thought "that looks fun"

Problem regarding "Coin" is 3 fold
1.You never seem to have enough
2.Getting what you want in comparison to what you need is different
3.By the time you get what you want you are a lot older and pleasure
pursuits change.

Retirement does not last for ever so the earlier you start the longer you have[hopefully]