Why Are We Here?

Sounds like a lofty question, doesn’t it? Well, lucky for you this isn’t a long exploration into the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. For those of you who want to have that conversation, I’m generally up to it. Just be warned that inquiring about such things may lead to regretting you asked—especially if I’m walking at the time as that helps me get my ‘ramble’ on. If you’d prefer a more succinct answer (and perhaps the best I’ve found) check out the answer provided here.

What this post is about is the blog’s current lack of direction and regular updates.

In large part these problems are symptoms of a recent problem: my lack of routine, schedule, and time. Hopefully in the next month or so things will slow down, and I’ll be able to refocus my efforts here and elsewhere. I want to refocus and find some things I’m passionate about and make them realities. Over the course of the years I’ve had so many different goals that truly completing one has been a challenge. I bounce from one project to the next with such frequency that I often feel the embodiment of the old title “Jack of all trades, master of none”.

Just quickly thumbing through my mind (metaphorically of course), I can think of near a dozen initiatives I’ve excitedly tried to embrace. But to my chagrin less than half that number have become manifest in some tangible outcome. Less still come close to living up to my original expectations, hopes, or desires. I want to turn this around so that those ideas I am really serious about get acted upon and make it through to full fruition.

Now obviously this is harder than it sounds. Even the most basic aspect of that plan (i.e. choosing things to focus on is a problem). So to figure out how I’m going to do this I want to first figure out what’s stopping me—what questions need to be answered before proceeding. I don’t claim to have answers to these questions now, but I hope to in the near future.

How do I identify those projects or goals I’m truly serious about?
This is very important, despite its sounding trivial. A lot of effort can be wasted by immediately throwing all ones resources (e.g. mental, time, emotional, etc) at a project just to realize it was a flight of fancy.

What are the desired outcomes I’m seeking?
Another trap I’ve fallen into before is chasing goals and dreams that have no concrete endings. While the end need not be realistic and goals not laid out in a formal way, a vision is invaluable. It’s often said “It’s not the destination, but the journey that is of importance”, but running wildly down a path in no particular direction can lead to you running in circles leading to dissatisfaction and disillusionment.

Is the project / goal realistic? (i.e. How much time / effort / money is required?)
Some projects are just not realistic. No matter how much I want to open my own video store and make independent films, I don’t have the money or resources to do so—not yet at least. Good for me that this isn’t a goal of mine, eh? That said, this should be more a reality check than a deal breaker. Most resource goals can be overcome in time with enough dedication (and sometimes sacrifice).

How can I learn about and begin to pursue this goal?
Often times I feel that I possess the vision, but no understanding of how to tactically go about achieving it. With the internet and proliferation of information regarding all manner of things, often times it’s not a question of if the information is out there, but how do you find it. Still the finding of this information can pose a serious obstacle and lead to early abandonment of a goal.

Is this practical?
Personally I hate this question and often spend energy deliberately avoiding it. And often times it’s not relevant. Many aspirations are an end within themselves. There is often no reason why someone needs to master an instrument, but the exercise can serve as a means of relaxation, meditation, and most importantly self-actualization. Still, in some cases practicality can play an important role in either pursuing or abandoning an ambition.

Is this more important than that?
Perhaps the most difficult of the above questions to answer is related to the prioritization of goals. What makes this such a fundamentally challenging question is that the answer can legitimately change over time. Life circumstances, evolving personal relationships, newly discovered ambitions can all play a role in changing who we want to be.

And More…

So now what? Well I hope to make my first step trying to answer these questions for those dozen or so things I want to accomplish. Perhaps from there I can move forward to execute on them. I can tell you one goal I have is to more regularly update this blog. I initially had some fairly ambitious goals for this space, and although they may not ever see the light of day I want to keep the site fresh. The form that takes and the content it includes may be different, but I want to make this an ongoing exercise for my own well being if nothing else.

And with that I’m out.