I have set a lot of goals in my life, and many of them have come to fruition. Over the years, goal setting has allowed me to do some amazing things, that I would have otherwise thought impossible. By writing down a dream, converting it to action steps, and completing each step, one by one, I have been able to do things such as write a book, run a triathlon, and complete an advanced certification.
Yet each time my personal goal has come to fruition, I’ve felt a little empty.
There always seems to be something missing.
It’s hard to put a finger on
An invisible concern
Discontent
Yesterday something changed
I read something very profound
It brought things into a better focus
It finally answered that nagging question
How do I set goals that are truly meaningful and lasting?
I found the answer in a very unusual place. It wasn’t in a book, podcast, or lecture.
It was in a mysterious, almost ethereal place.
It was a tower!
A tower that you construct.
A tower that has amazing implications.
People live and work in this tower. They consume your ideas, your inventions, and your art.
Their lives are changed.
The tower continues to grow, year after year.
The tower you create exists, even after you die.
You see, the tower represents your LEGACY.
You add to this tower when your goals and actions include others.
Life is a series of purposeful choices that can produce great rewards from great
effort. Choose to craft your life around creative work that goes up like a tower and out to the world.
There is a sign on the side of the building with this admonition…
We must work on our lives the way we would work on any other project. Instead of knowledge, pleasure, or happiness, the purpose of life is to create something meaningful that will endure after we’re gone.
Every day, wake up and think about these two things:
• What am I making today?
• Whom am I helping today?
After reading the Tower Manifesto by Chris Guillebeau, I realized that the missing link in my goal setting plan was simple. Mine were strictly personal goals. They were inward focused. They didn’t include others.
How To Change The World
With a simple focus change, I can change this.
My goals can now have IMPACT!
They can create enduring and lasting value.
The secret is the focus…
We’ll look at some examples in a future post…
Question: Are you building a legacy to change the world?
