The Goal of Joy
Carlos Hidalgo
Co-Founder & CEO of Digital Exhaust - Making Growth Simple for Our Clients. Coach; Executive Advisor, 2x Author, Int'l Keynote & TEDx Speaker
One of the hobbies I enjoy the most is running.
Susanne hates running and thinks I am nuts but I love it!
It is my time to think, meditate, and be alone with my own thoughts (I do not run with headphones). And the physical benefits are abundant.
I first started running with regularity around 2006 and with that I began to set goals for each run. As I continued, my goals became more aggressive.
I set goals for how many miles I would run and my time per mile. I tracked my negative splits. I would compare one week versus another.
I became quite obsessed.
I would come home from a run and when Susanne would ask how it went, my response was based on how I fared against my goals versus the actual run.
My obsession began to chip away at the joy I found in running. Over time running became more of a chore than something that was invigorating.
Over the last year, I have run a lot, and have rediscovered the joy in it.
Why?
I have stopped focusing on my goals and made the choice to just enjoy it.
Rather than setting a goal of a certain number of miles or a time, I run based on how I feel.
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I run based on what I am wanting from the run that day or set a range. If I set out to run four or five miles and I make it that’s great, if not, I was able to get out and do something I love.
I speak with many who have a goal of reaching a certain professional rank by a certain age. Others have a goal of having a certain amount of money by some arbitrary time and some believe they have to accomplish certain things they have on a "bucket list" (I hate the idea of a bucket list, but that’s for another time).
Inevitably, most of those I talk to are so focused on achieving their goals, they fail to enjoy the journey and the experience of life.
They come to believe that if they miss their goals that they are a failure rather than realizing that a failure is an event, not a person.
If you have certain goals in your life, ask yourself why you set them?
What is it about that goal that is so important and what would it look like if you held it loosely and enjoyed the process of getting there?
On the journey with you,
Carlos
P.S. One of our recent podcasts focused on what happens when we reach a goal and then life throws us a curve ball. Such a great conversation with Dr. Angela Mulrooney.
CEO & Social Media Rockstar Working With B2B & B2C Brands To Augment & Amplify Their Marketing Through Social Media
2 年Love this sentiment! I found myself hyper focused on our company goals in Q4 and the stress was eating at me so working on shifting that to ensure our primary goal is health and happiness—not a number.
Editor in Chief @ The Mandarin
2 年This is one of your best columns, Carlos. Great message, well told. Thanks for your leadership in this space, mate!
Co-Founder, Digital Exhaust | Marketing Executive | Growth Oriented | Data-Driven | Ai-Enabled | Full Lifecycle
2 年That's a great way to think, Carlos. I've seen myself lose interest in things I once enjoyed due to self-pressure. Like you, I'm a bit competitive, even against myself. I can get frustrated when I'm not performing at the level I performed at my prime. But I'm learning. There's a buddhist proverb that talks about tuning a stringed instrument. Too tight and the string breaks. Too loose and no music comes out. I'm learning to tune my expectations in a way that achieves melody and harmony that those activities have to offer.
Husband and Dad | Believer | Writer | Leader
2 年This is fantastic Carlos and thank you for sharing. You have a gift of writing that's for sure. It's amazing what can rob us of joy and thank you for highlighting this area. Tomorrows run is going to be a lot more fun because of this. Blessings my friend.
Chief Strategic Writer, Reporter & Digital Designer
2 年I'm muddled in the Couch to 5K presently, but love it. I haven't been because of covid for several weeks, but I can't wait to get back. I'd considered registering for a 5K at the projected completion of the program, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm sure I'll have to backtrack on the program after so much inactivity, and that's fine. I could have become hyper-focused on completing the program before my run deadline ... now I can finish in my time, and find a race then. It feels like I sidestepped some stress there!