Marshall Field, one of the richest men in Chicago, had been asked in a newspaper interview: “What did he hope to accomplish in life?” His reply: “One of the secrets of not having a nervous breakdown is not having goals. But I suppose I would like to leave both the company (Field Enterprises) and the city a little better for my having been here.”
He was clearly a smart man. I speak from experience. I used to have goals and it was not good for my mental stability. That was in my thirties; since then I have been pretty well goalless. I knew then that there were no great goals in my life.
As a result of having no goals, I like to think, my life has greatly improved in quality. Instead of noisily chasing things, things have quietly come to me.
I was always suspicious of the study done at Yale many years ago. The results showed that the Yale students who set goals for themselves were more successful years later than those who had no goals.
I find goals to be shallow and distracting from the things that make life interesting. We can certainly have desires and a purpose; we can set our lives in a direction; but a goal, once it is achieved, is not satisfying. We merely start looking for the next goal. It is much more interesting to put our efforts into finding what we like to do and doing it.
Robert Allen in his fine book Creating Wealth also points out the difference between just having goals and finding a purpose in your life.
He says a goal comes from external motivation, a purpose comes from internal motivation
A goal is where achievement is the reward, a purpose is where the journey is the reward.
A goal is future oriented, a purpose is now oriented.
A goal is unnatural, a purpose is second nature.
It is harder to find your purpose in life, but it is far more rewarding than pursuing a goal.
I became a note buyer, because I got tired of being a landlord. Someone suggested I start a small newsletter to find note holders. So I did, and it didn’t take me long to realize I had achieved a goal without knowing I had one. In fact, I feel it is my purpose in life.
So I admire Marshall Field, he has achieved all the goals the country has to offer and he only wants to make his business and his city a little better for his having been here. Good man.
Jon Richards, Publisher of NoteWorthy Newsletter
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