How Goals Limit You - Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

We’re taught to set goals, right? How else can we get where we need to go without them. We break these goals down into action steps and we make lists and check off what we have accomplished. But what if I said goals limit you. What would you do then?

The view from here

We are spirit having a human experience. We are spirit dressed up in body suits. And when we operate our lives from the view from our body suits, we can only see as far as body suits can see. We are limited by what we can do on the physical plane. Our expectations go no further than what we think we can do as humans.

When we live our lives closely aligned to our spiritual selves, our vision breaks the limitations of the physical plane and sees and understands the infinite possibilities that surround us. And we begin to allow great things to happen.

Goals express the limitations of our human experience. Visions take us into the realm of unlimited opportunities.

Goals limit your imagination

Let’s say you want to expand your business. You set a goal to have a certain number of people in your chosen community by a certain date. You have specific aspects to measure that will let you know that you attained those goals. And you make action steps to get you there. You will write three posts a week, put out an emagazine twice a month, teach a new course every quarter, write three new ebooks, etc., etc., etc.

But what if the Universe has other plans for you? Will you be so caught up in your “to do” list that you won’t see the new opportunities let alone take time to explore them? What if an unexpected opportunity showed up? Would you be so focused on your goals that you wouldn’t even consider exploring it?

Maintaining a fluid, non-goal oriented life-style, keeps you open to unlimited opportunities and takes you places you never expected to be.

Goals limit your expectation

So you have those specific numbers in mind – so many new people in your chosen community by such and such a date. What if the Universe has bigger plans for you? What if you get to put a bonus product in a friend’s book launch and that promotion sends a sudden surge of new people to your community? Did you leave room in your plan for that? What if one of your blog posts goes viral and brings you a lot of attention. How can you plan for that – it’s unexpected. Goals limit your expectation. They limit your vision of what is possible. Stay open to the new, the unexpected gifts of the Universe.

Goals limit your action steps

Goals are like taking baby steps rather than giant steps, particularly when they are about planning the uncharted. I understand the need to keep out of overwhelm by breaking a large project down into smaller steps, but it’s the vision of the large project that needs to stay fluid. I once set out to give a 20 minute talk in a course I was taking and even before I got the outline written I knew it had to be an ebook and a teleclass. If I had stuck with just my goal of giving a talk I might never have seen or accepted the bigger opportunities.

Goals keep you from exploring

If you decide something should be done a certain way and lay out the goals and action steps to do it that way, you are missing the opportunity of discovery and the incredible gift that comes when you make a change. For instance, I am developing a system that helps thoughtful leaders effectively organize their ideas so they can educate and inspire their chosen community. Some of it is in place. Some is still evolving. I have some ideas. I have some resources to study. And I have my own experience creating information products from my own ideas. In this developmental process I allow myself to be guided by my inner wisdom which is my direct connection to Spirit, and let the work unfold in the most exciting and effective manner. If I started out by saying it should be 5 weeks, and the result would be one home study course, I would miss the opportunity to make it an expansive system that can be applied to every situation to focus ideas into clear communication. At this point in time I have an adventure awaiting me and I do not know exactly where it will take me. And that’s exciting.

Goals can keep you from exploring new territory. Say curious and open to change.

Goals take away the fun

How often have you started your day with a “to do” list that makes you groan? You’d rather be anyplace but right there doing those things. Goals box you in. They take away your spontaneity. They take away the fun. Can you picture a day that is yours to do with as you will? You can read a book, or write a post. You can go for a walk or take a nap. You can play with your cat or take a long walk. When you take away the goals you are left with fun and spontaneous self-expression.

Goals mess with your passion

Our life should be about living our passion, about having what we do express our unique gifts, and allowing us to be in service as only we can be. If you are focused on your goals, you may find yourself doing things you are not passionate about, in fact you may resist them and procrastinate and not get anything done. But when you are passionate about what you are doing there is no stopping you. Keep following your passion.

Stay flexible, keep open, live your passion

If this has put you in a tizzy of objections, that’s OK. You can have your goal setting if you are attached to it. But I’d like to suggest that you question everything you do. Stay flexible about what you do, when you do it and if you should do it at all. Keep open to the myriad of signs and signals that the Universe provides that point you to new opportunities. Stay passionate about what you are doing – live your passion fully, joyously, effectively. Don’t let goals limit you. Let your vision and passion point the way.

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