In the world I have grown up in, I was taught to go after goals, plan and focus around the concrete accomplishments. I was never good at this, unless it was orchestrated around a “feeling” experience that I wanted to have. If we really look at our goals, this is true of all of us at the core. Let’s peek a bit deeper at this.

Think about the very common desire to have more money. Is it really so you can hold pieces of dyed colored paper in your hand, or know that you have stacks of it in a bank somewhere? No, the desire is to have more money, so that you can do the things you want to do, buy the things you want, etc… You want the money to manifest an experience in your life that gives you a “feeling”. The joy shared on a trip with people. The sensation of feeling good in the new outfit you purchased. The enjoyment felt over a fun meal out with friends. You get the idea.

What about the goal of a degree, job, home, relationship, health??? When you dissect any goal, you will arrive at a way you want to feel. Something that you want to experience, which is emotionally based. So, what would happen if we flipped our typical teaching of focusing on a “goal” to focusing on a “feeling/desire” – how would the journey to reach that desire focused goal change? Would it become more fun along the way? Would delightful surprises show up because you were more open, joyful and present?

Some of the early teachers of this thought, Joseph Campbell, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Tony Robbins, etc.., have been trying to get the old paradigm to shift. It is funny how slowly we navigate such changes, for our traditional schooling system still focuses on the concrete, the college driven focus, with specific hoops to jump in order to succeed. What would shift in the classroom if we changed our approach to “What do you desire for your life?’, “What do you want to experience?” Versus “What do you want to have?”

More and more authors, coaches and speakers are sharing the philosophy of following your “bliss” to create the life you want. Bringing to the forefront that it is human nature to be driven by our feelings. We want things for the emotional sensation it gives us. I wonder if the next generation will adopt this understanding? How will that change things?

As you prepare to enjoy your New Year celebration, what do you want to feel and experience in 2018. Take a close look at your resolutions, why do you want to achieve them? I’ll bet you there is something you want to feel guiding each and everyone of those goals.

May today be a day of inner exploration, “What are my desires, what do I want to feel, what do I want to experience in living my life???”

A.C.T. (always choose truth) with connected awareness to your feelings, making decisions in your moments that serve your desire to feel a certain way, peaceful, content, happy, loving, kind…. In so doing, I wonder how your “to do” list will change with this focus?