What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?
The hardest personal goal that I have set for myself is to live a life of karma yogi. Apparently a doable thing, in reality it is not an easily achievable feat.
Are goals necessary for the growth of an individual? The answer to this question varies according to the individual. Shrimad Bhagwat Gita in its verse 2.47 exhorts that one must not look for fruit while performing any action. Here it is necessary to understand the distinction between a goal and fruits of an action.
A goal provides you a framework for your actions. It acts as a stimulant for your growth by channelizing your energy. It adds responsibility. A fruit of action, however, refers to a tangible manifestation of your action in your desired form. Hence, while a goal may be set by remaining unattached to it, it is nearly impossible not to be glued to the fruit of an action.
Results do not matter in the pursuit of a goal. The journey or the process becomes more important. Achieving a goal is a cumulation of various actions taken in its pursuit. On the other hand, affinity towards fruits of an action dilutes the intensity of efforts. Illusion of the idyllic fruit restrains us from giving our best to the task at hand.
Karma Yoga ordains an individual to live life without attaching himself to the fruits of his action. Interestingly, the pursuit of karma yoga is a goal in itself. Paradoxically, it can be achieved only by unattached actions. Implementation is always more difficult than the planning process.
Yet, it is not something impossible. With a goal in mind, we can train it not to indulge in the succulent fruit of instant gratification. Surrendering to the innate will of the universe one may achieve the unachievable.
While setting a goal and pursuing it with all might, one must always remember these lines from Rudyard Kipling’s seminal poem If:
....If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same....
The most difficult journeys ever made by the greatest human beings started with a single step. Put a foot forward and enjoy the process!
– Ashant
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