“Do what you love and 
love what you do.” This is a core belief for me. My life and work support this idea, and it’s incredibly fulfilling. The data says the majority of Americans aren’t doing what they love, though. If you’re one of them, how do you find what will bring you happiness?
Way too many people think the goal should be something of status to others—a better job or promotion, for instance. Sometimes those achievements do bring fulfillment. But how do you know? What if you sacrifice time, energy and resources to achieve an external goal (measurable by others) and you don’t feel all that you expected?
A meaningful way forward is to set “goals with soul,” a phrase associated with Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map. If you’re not doing what you love right now, keep reading for better steps to a more fulfilling career and life.
Fearless Goal Setting
Goals with soul begin with Fearless Goal Setting. This is different than most goal setting exercises you probably have done before.
Fearless Goal Setting is getting real with what you want out of life. It is dropping all the external beliefs that you have unconsciously adopted. In our team building work, our definition of fearless goal setting is:
- Setting goals that are based on how you want to feel. When that is established, you move on to what you must do to achieve the desired feeling (LaPorte).
- Considering your entire life—not focusing on one aspect, such as your career, to the detriment of the rest of what makes you unique.
- Honoring your limitations—whether you are parenting multiple children, caring for elderly parents, facing financial limitations, or lacking in needed support.
- Being real with what YOU want—not what you think others (your boss, spouse, parents, coworkers, children, etc.) expect or want.
- Understanding your existing strengths and weaknesses as the foundation for dreaming authentically.
- Moving forward fueled by two actions at the same time: pushing ourselves and nurturing ourselves.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
By transforming how we find and define our goals, Fearless Goal Setting taps into the soul’s true desire. Fearless Goal Setting transform lives.
Now you know what goals with soul look like. Next week in this blog I will write more about how to tap your fearlessness to make your own goals with soul.
Molly Fletcher helps inspire and equip game changers to dream, live and grow fearlessly. A keynote speaker and author, Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter.
