To have ambition, to aspire, to dream big, to strive for success, these are all assets in or society and I agree that they should be. But society goes wrong when it pressures people to dream about the wrong things or to set the wrong goals. Society prods us to aim for wealth, prestige and fame. Everybody knows the drill.

Too many people work too hard to get the next promotion or take on extra shifts, second jobs or extra course at school so they could get ahead or finish faster. People behave this way because they believe that once they’ve saved enough money or completed their degree or accomplished whatever stature they are aiming for, they will be able to exhale, let go of the stress and suddenly feel good.

What I know now is that most often goals are not within themselves worthy of our sweat and struggles. A degree in a field of study we feel little passion for is not worthy of our time or effort even if it brings prestige and wealth. A well paying job is not worth the best chunk of our day and most of our energy if we don’t learn and grow from the work we do or take pleasure in it.

Of course this is a very complicated matter because what we learn from a job is often a product of what we put in to it and how resourceful we are in extracting the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in. For example, an observant factory worker can learn more on the job than a lawyer working at a big law firm sifting through paper work all day. The factory worker could pick up all sorts of ideas and tips that will one day help him/her start and run his/her own factory.

But back to goals. To reword my point: no goal is worthy of our time and effort if all we are going to get out of it is an end result. A worthy goal is one that offers an enjoyable and fruitful journey, not only an end result.

I don’t believe in working hard at a job you feel no passion for so that you could make lots of money and one day retire rich and buy a yacht. I don’t believe in setting goals that will require years of your life performing tasks that slowly kill your soul, your being, your inner spark just so that you could achieve a goal, even a goal that may offer a long list of benefits. I would never sell my happiness in the present for benefits in the future. And this is not the same as being short sighted.

Here’s what I do believe. We must set goals where not only the end results bring happiness, but every step of the way will help us grow will bring good to our lives. It’s just not worth it to work towards a goal that doesn’t offer an enjoyable journey. The journey is all you got right now. There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever live long enough or keep your health or family long enough to enjoy the end results. If you set your self up with goals where you can also enjoy the journey you can win all the way. Never spend your life waiting… waiting and being patient and persevering for something that you can’t quite be sure will ever be yours.

If you’re working just for the money, when you’re done working one day, the money will be all you have. Pursue your passions. If you think you don’t have any, then you’re not thinking hard enough or maybe you’re thinking too hard and not listening, listening to your inner voice, your soul, your heart, the part of you that only speaks up when everything else is silent.

I do admit that all of this is quite idealistic and that real life is more complex and responsibilities take over and overpower our passions and aspirations. Sometimes money does matter and sometimes family can’t come first so that family can have something to eat in the evening, but I have full faith in the statement: If there’s a will, there’s a way. So scratch out all of your excuses and admit to yourself that the only reason you’re not doing whatever it is you really want to be doing it’s simply because you haven’t yet mustered up the will power to drive you.