Interests, Goals and why we have them

From Maslow’s hierarchy of needs I would say I have most of those basic needs met. I think about life a lot, I am looking more into self actualisation now.

I’ll start off this blog with defining our goals. We often think about our long term goals as our careers and these objectives in life. Establishing goals is important, they can help direct our growth.

What about our careers? Our first real big long term goal… For most people. Other people can have other first long term goals when it comes to big competitions. Well besides that fact, adults ask this question to kids alot. I know, I’ve been asked this myself, and I have asked this to other kids.

Actually, it appears a small fraction of people actually achieve their big first long term goal. For those people that stuck to that one thing.. Including myself… they neglect or don’t give much attention to other options. They have not put too much thought about anything else. That comes from forming these big life goals way too early on.

Don’t get me wrong, there are people that become super dedicated to their goal, craft, career and put in all their efforts into it. That shouldn’t be seen as the standard/norm, we should see that as the exception.

It is an uncomfortable question, but we should ask ourselves why we set these goals in the first place? Figuring out this answer to your self will lead you to a path of reflection, soul searching, and finding what is meaningful to you.

I’ll share this answer of myself on why I chose this path for my education and job as a software engineer: I did it because I wanted security/safety, decent pay, steady work in a fairly relaxed environment, and not alot of formal schooling afterwards. After achieving this, I feel that my goal was just to do it because I had to. Even reducing down my thoughts and rationality behind my choices that’s what it was.

At some point we will lose interest in our goals… It is something I have experienced…. Now that I have my work life balance and most of my needs met. I gained new information, new perspectives that sparked new interests in me. So after meeting my expectations I am still figuring out what I would like to do next. In the end I would encourage others to take a moment from their long term goal entertain their curiosity and interests. Ask yourself why this interest was there, or ask if you have any interests besides your one big long term goal.

To clarify my final thoughts about interests: In life the interests you have now won’t take you to where you expect to be. As new interests come and go, they are never actually gone because they take you to where you are today. As we step forward towards a new path you never know where you will actually end up. Yea I know… deep, but I think that is one of the beauties of life.