Do goals really expire?

Goals are a funny old thing. Some people hold on to them forever, only to finally find that goal was just a milestone in their journey. For one it may be to reach the highest level of his/her career, for another set up his/her own business.

Sometimes, it may feel like once we've reached that goal, that is not satisfying enough and the need to get back onto the goals' train is what keeps them going. This can be a change in career path or one may find that managing a business is no longer viable or it has indeed expired.

A goal expiry in my view is when we find we missed the opportunity window, or it has now evolved into something different. In my case, I have worked both as a freelancer and employed. Being employed did the job but it always felt like something was missing. Sometimes it relies on personal growth - you know, impostor syndrome, lack of confidence, of self-esteem - or it’s that feeling that it’s too much effort for what is believed is going to have little return, and that we’ll not be able to meet our deadline or just meet the bare minimum that is paying our bills.

On my CV journey to date, I have never felt like the employment was making me happy. Most companies are numbers driven, quantity above quality. They don’t really recognise your loyalty, overtime you put forward, that customer focus approach. They don’t care if you stay or go, we are all replaceable. But, as it happens, that one in a million shot, once in a life time chance, reached me recently. When everything seemed lost, when I had lost the faith in the way the corporate world interacts with their staff, I found it: my kind of company to work for.

It’s not just about the money. All about the company feels right. The ethics, the team spirit, the recognition… Heck, I work in a globally recognised awarding body and the CEO actually knows my name! How often do you get that? I can’t underline it boldly enough how important it is to feel part of the company we work for.

To believe in our heart in the product/service the company we work for is “selling” plays a huge part in our productivity and professional satisfaction. In many cases it may be a team effort, that means faking till we make it, because if everyone does it, we will eventually all start to believe it.

This is what the world needs: a strong corporate culture of positivity. Positivity attracts more positivity and what seemed hard before is then overcome with ease - and a smile on our faces. Moaning is not productive, it drags us and the others around down. So all we need to do is to suck it up so life can move onward and upward.

I’m still not at that stage where I can just jump and freelance-write away. But this has definitely pushed me towards that goal. You reading me? My goal has not yet expired, but this job has without a doubt been the wake up call I was needing.