Yes, it is helpful to have a goal. It gives people a sense of motivation and drives them forward.

And yet, the goal rarely is the most important thing.

That’s because of the nature of goals.

Goals often are not what people expect them to be.

There is the person desiring to follow their purpose. For a long time, it will be their goal. But once it is reached it is a beginning.

Think for example about the startups seeking to get venture capital. That goal is a milestone on a journey, one that marks the starting point of a partnership, more work, and changed power dynamics.

And then there is also the elite athlete who decided to do something no one else has done before. It could be to row across an ocean, or for example, to climb a mountain on a path no one has used before. These goals require tremendous dedication and a long journey of preparation. But once they achieved the goal, they have to come back into a life without that goal and with their success. Enriched with a unique experience they are now confronted with all the people who don’t have their experience and don’t understand it. They now need to find a way to share it or to step back into being like everyone else.

Having goals keeps us going.

Reaching goals tells us about the path ahead.

They all contribute to the journey.