The Trouble With Goals

I am a goal-oriented person. Everything I consciously do, I do to acheive a particular end. Not to say that every end is worthy of the effort, nor that every end is reached. Still, having a goal--a purpose of some sort--is what drives me to do things.

The easiest type of goal to work toward is a tangible one. I cook dinner so that, an hour later, I can eat it. It is no problem to motivate me to do something like that. But some goals are less tangible. Some are immeasurable. And some are so long-term that no result is expected to be seen in the near future. These don't motivate me nearly as easily.

I have been "learning" to play to guitar for something like three years now. I am a little better at it than I was a year ago, but not much. I really enjoy playing, but I don't always have a reason to practice, so I just don't. Now, when I have a song I am writing or plan to perform something--Well, then I could practice all day long. But practicing with the goal of "getting better" just doesn't motivate me.

The problem is, the most important goals in life are probably those that are intangible, immeasurable, and long-term. I have many goals in raising my son, for instance. If I concentrate only on things like training him to use a fork or the toilet or to say his own name then I can say I have accomplished something. But isn't training him to be honest and kind and to love God infinitely more important? Yet when can I say that is accomplished?

I think what it boils down to is something I've said many times (often to myself): Sometimes in life we have to do things we don't want. It's called discipline. I have to exercise discipline to continue on toward those hard-to-reach, hard-to-define goals even when it's not fun or I'm not motivated. The good news is I don't have to do it all on my own: The Holy Spirit enables me to do things I couldn't do on my own. In fact, Galatians 5:22-23 says "The fruit of the Spirit is... self-control." Just what I need. Hmm.... So, I guess I should go practice my guitar now.