Goals Worth Having
I love talking about the shortness of life.
Our finiteness is one of the most important philosophical realizations we can have.
And since our time here is so short, learning to live it well is something we should do as early as possible.
Today in particular I’m thinking about how important it is to pursue goals worth having.
I read a great quote about this in the book Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish.
“What seems to matter in the moment rarely matters in life, yet what matters in life always matters in the moment.”
And it was a reminder not to chase goals for the wrong reasons.
Things that matter in the moment, can often be shallow.
The pursuit of material things, chasing women, scrolling social media, the fight you’re having with a coworker… these all distract us from what’s important — meaningful relationships, time spent on hobbies we value, or inner peace.
We do these things, because in the moment they’re gratifying and important, but when we reflect back on them, they feel insignificant.
On the other hand, the things that matter in life, always matter in the moment (even if it doesn’t feel that way).
People neglect their health in the moment, but it doesn’t change the fact your health always matters.
People neglect their family, but were they to lose that family they’d be devastated.
The point is, when we’re pursuing any goal, we have to ask if it really matters, and if there’s not a better way we could use our time.
Does reaching max level in a video game really matter? Does winning this argument online matter? Does another shallow relationship really matter?
These aren’t things we’ll look back on at the end of our lives and remember fondly…
Most likely we’ll look back and wish we had that time back… so why not take it back now?
With everything you do, ask yourself if this is really worth pursuing… is this goal really worth your time and energy?
It’s not to say we can’t have fun, or waste time.
But we should never do it thoughtlessly, at the expense of the deeper things in life.
Thanks for reading,
– Josh