Goals

Sapporo, Japan
January 2023

Many years ago - to the point that I do exactly remember when - I determined that my goals in life could be broadly subdivided into four major categories, or four tenets.

The first tenet was fitness, which I defined as a balanced mix of strength, speed, and endurance, which would enable me to freely interact in the world. As the years passed, I realized fitness was a superficial goal, and that there was a much deeper correlate of fitness, but it was not quite the same thing. After considerable thought, I defined that deeper correlate as health, which is essentially optimized mitochondria function, mitochondria being the energy-producing, cell-directing units that live within nearly all of our cells (1,2). Fitness means little without health.

The second tenet was liberty, which meant having sufficient time and finances to do as one wished, such as freely travelling around the world. And as the years moved along, I realized this too was a superficial goal, that a much deeper correlate existed. Eventually, I realized that deeper correlate as freedom, meaning a freedom from desire, our true enslavers in life, which we can never get enough of and prevent the finding and following of more essential intuitions (3). Liberty means little without freedom.

The third tenet was love, which I defined in a romantic sense as finding the person of one's dreams leading to a series of bliss-filled experiences. The years passed, and I began to see love as a superficial goal, with a much deeper correlate. Many experiences later, I finally realized that deeper correlate as respect, a mutual recognition of that spark that exists within not only another person, but also one's self (4). Love is a feeling that grows as an effect of a deeper respect for one's self, other people, and life.

Health is more essential than fitness (1,2).

Freedom is more essential than liberty (3).

Respect is more essential than love (4).

The fourth tenet was purpose, which I defined as having some sort of ultimate goal that I could work towards, one that would satisfy me on the deepest of levels - instinctually, emotionally, logically, spiritually...call it what you will. As years swept by, I ultimately saw that purpose was a superficial goal and a much deeper correlate existed. It took a number of trials to recognize that deeper correlate as the mission, the entire journey that drives one's enthusiasm for living, the thing that makes one wake up both excited and afraid, but also ready to jump out of bed in the morning to embrace the day. Purpose is an idea that grows as an effect during the pursuit of the mission.

Although I initially grouped the four major tenets in life as fitness, liberty, love, and purpose, after decades of acquiring experiences and hopefully a bit of wisdom, I now group the four tenets as health, freedom, respect, and mission. 

Different Types Of Goals

I know of a number of people who are pursuing and achieving true excellence in one tenet, and I know of several who are excelling in two tenets. At best, I know of perhaps a handful of people excelling in three tenets. However, I do not yet know of anybody who is truly excelling in all four tenets, which would be something quite extraordinary.

To excel in any tenet requires setting and pursuing goals. Yet there are different types of goals, and I like a classification system that I came across years ago by the late Canadian self-help authorer and lecturer Bob Proctor (5), who described the multi-tiered concept of A-goals, B-goals, and C-goals.

Proctor defined A-goals as those you know you can achieve. It may take some work to get there, but you've achieved similar goals before. A-goals never take you out of your comfort zone. Examples of A-goals would be changing your diet to improve your type 2 diabetes, or getting a new job similar to the last one.

Bob Proctor gives a brief talk about the different types of goals, which he classifies as A-goals, B-goals, and C-goals (please ignore the sales pitch at the end).

By contrast, B-goals are those you think you can achieve, but you're not sure. They take a lot of work, and you've never achieved a similar goal before. B-goals take you a bit out of your comfort zone, but only intermittently, or not by much. Examples of B-goals would be going on a ketogenic diet to put your type 2 diabetes into remission, or changing to a new career that significantly differs from the last one.

​C Goals are different. C-goals are super-exciting, yet you do not know how to achieve them - all you can do is conceptualize the goal itself in some vague sense. C-goals seem impossible at the outset and are totally unlike anything you have done before. They take you way out of your comfort zone in a constant and/or intense manner; by definition, they are uncomfortable and may at times even be painful, but the inspiration trumps the discomfort and pain. Examples of C-goals might be undergoing an intensive fasting and ketogenic diet protocol to improve your Alzheimer's disease, or embarking on a worthy mission to help others, one that nobody has ever attempted before.

​C goals are not just "hard," they are "way hard." But these are the goals that are truly worth pursuing, for the magic does not lie in the achieving of the C-goal - as incredible as that accomplishment may be - but in how much you grow during the pursuit of the goal. The true point of the C-goal is to grow into a better version of yourself.

Pursuing The Four Tenets

In the setting of the four tenets, the ideal set of goals will depend upon a particular person's interests, stage in life, and current situation, amongst other factors.

In any year, it is good to have a mix of perhaps 5 to 10 A-goals and B-goals. These goals will provide a series of achievable objectives that will generally be guaranteed successes, as long as the work is done. Although you know you can achieve these goals, the knowledge that the work will guarantee a constant, incremental degree of success is psychologically motivating and satisfying.

However, it is truly great to have 1 or 2 C-goals for any year. It may be wise not to have multiple C-goals as they often demand a good deal of sacrifice from the other tenets. This is why there are so few people who can excel in three or four tenets - it is incredibly challenging to meet the demands of 1 or 2 C-goals, let alone 3 or 4 C-goals.

In 2023, consider setting some A-goals and B-goals, then think about a C-goal. In setting the C-goal, remember two crucial ingredients. First, the true C-goal must be utterly exciting, such that you have a compulsion to pursue it...it's a dream. Lacking this enthusiasm, the inevitable difficulties along the way may stop you. Second, the true C-goal must appear impossible at the outset, with the means to achieving it unknown. If you know how to do it already, then it's not a C-goal. 

Not everyone needs to really have a C-goal, and it's probably not good to try and force it. But if thre is something deep down inside you that is trapped and needs to soar, sky-high, then listen to it, conceptualize it, and grow it.

​As you will grow yourself.

​Solace.

 References
(1) https://www.wanderingsolace.com/health-july-2015.html.
(2) Phillips MCL. Metabolic Strategies in Healthcare: A New Era. Aging and Disease 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35656107/.
(3) https://www.wanderingsolace.com/freedom-february-2017.html.
(4) https://www.wanderingsolace.com/love-november-2018.html.
​(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Proctor_(author).