Living a more meaningful life in 2012. Coming to the end of 2011 my intention and thoughts were to live being less goal orientated and instead meaningful orientated life. I had a wonderful 2011 and it all comes down to what I write below.

I started to change my thinking having previously being so goal orientated that I was lost and it all came to a head when I realised that my goals were being fulfilled yet personally I did not feel as if I was getting the happiness I wished by achieving them.

You see goals are wonderful, I will always have them. They allow you to get clear in where you are heading, to make sure you are aligned with what you want and to make sure its what you want.

I would find it very hard to believe that a successful business has no goals. But whether it be for my business or personal life its vital to have balance between goals and living meaningfully.

Why do we have goals?

The answer is simple we strive for them because we believe the reward/success of them changes our emotional/physical/mental/spiritual state of mind.

If I have more money, I will have freedom to do what I want/retire and enjoy life.

If I have a relationship I will be happy and loved

If I have the body I want I will be happy and confident in myself

If I have the promotion I will have more power/freedom/money/success

So all goes are intended to improve our future situation compared to where we are right now. Thats why i like goals, there are based around improving our quality of life.

So goals are great, but they have there pitfalls:

* We can become obsessed with them

* Overwhelmed by them

* We can write them and forget them (think of all the new year resolutions people make but do not carry through)

* They are future oriented therefore we can get lost in our future and forget whats happening right now.

I've met many people continuingly striving for the next big goal but at the end they are stressed, tired and old, and many are actually still unhappy despite their 'success'.

I propose a new way of living life when it comes to goals. It all revolved around living a meaningful life.

When I live a meaningful life, where I am passionate and excited about what I am doing, I am aligned with the highest well-being of me right now. It means we are still striving but also living and contributing. We are growing and achieving but our passion and need of what is best right now is our guiding force in where we are heading.

Over 2012 I literally have 5 or so goals in total, which are vague, a summary within a sentence rather a whole lists of goals I used to write.

For my business I have a two or three areas where my focus/attention will be and it will entail doing one or two constant things to achieve them. So there is no overwhelm or confusion, just my intention is based on those one or two things.

For my personal life I have a general health goal summarised in a sentence, a traveling goal which is also summarised in a sentence. I know what that sentence means for me and its based around who I wish to be as a person rather a 'goal', and I know if am getting there or not by how I am feeling right now. I also know living a more meaningful life will allow me to achieve all I wish and even more.

When you live a meaningful life with your intention being on this present moment and what gives you the greatest joy causes you to flow and live in happiness whilst achieving the goals you desire.

I may look at those 5 or so goals every week to keep in check and alignment, but I am not obsessed by them as I am living a meaningful life and that causes me to naturally flow with them.

Life a meaningful with your attention on what gives you the most happiness now, have a general theme of what you would like to achieve without obsession, review them each week to stay on track, but do what gives you meaning. Share, love and live.

Your friend,

Joseph