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The first step in your adventure is setting your goals, standards and limits.
It’s great to make a plan and set a goal, but without recording it on paper, the next time you sleep you’ll feel different and wonder why you did that. Stability requires standards. Standards require a foundation. A foundation is where you start to build. That’s why I call this Betrothal, as it’s how you start to become who you will be in life.
Goals and what they are and mean.
There are levels of goals for your life. You need at least two to really start on your path, otherwise you’re stuck in one place just spinning around.
The first you should consider is your House on a Hill. This is your ultimate goal. It is what you want to be when you retire, and are at the end of your life. This goal is not hard to decide on, but it has to be more than a vague idea, it should be something concrete.
Your House on the Hill is what you want your existence to look like. Is it a cabin in the woods, a beach cottage, a little farm, a cabin in Alaska? Deciding this is part one.
Choose a House on the Hill that you can live comfortably with and can see yourself there for years.
Your purpose is simple. What do you WANT? Are you out for adventure and think the next campsite or cavern or waterfall is the best thing you can discover? Or perhaps you’re all about Family? You want those kids, and you want to be part of a large family with people around all the time (Hint, you can still have this as a celibate). Or, you want to be a loner, and live a peaceful life working puzzles and seeing no one for weeks at a time. Or, hey, you may want to be wealthy and own a large mansion with servants.
What your inner makeup is, determines much about how you should set your goals. If your goal is a house in the woods, but you’re also wanting a lot of money, then you’ll have a hard road in front of you. If you’re all about art and want to explore every medium out there, and you choose to live in a place where you’re going to have no resources, no scenery, or privacy, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Choose what you want your life to feel like and how it will fit with your personality.
Why your purpose matters more than you can imagine.
Paths are your way of making it to your house on the hill.
When you know your House on the Hill, and you know your personality and how you want to get there, it’s time to start walking your path. To walk it, you aim for your ultimate House, but you set smaller goals that can be easily achieved. I have a friend who tells me all the time,
“You know how to eat an Elephant? One bite at a time.” – Marco C.
A path is much like that. You get your equipment (education, tools, skills, etc.) and you take that first step. You know where you’re going, and you know how your personality works so you don’t make unrealistic paths, so all you have to do is take that firs step, the first motion toward your ultimate goal. It’s surprisingly easy. For example…
Your House is Adventure. Your personality is art. You equip which is to buy a camera, learn to use it, and make a few contacts with people to handle your images. Then, you load your tent and sleeping back in the trunk, get in the car, and pick a place to go. See? Easy.
Choose a Path that will get you to your goals, but one that is uniquely suited for your personality.