By, Neerja Caprihan, Interactive Advisors
The Paris Olympics are the talk of the town. An event that all athletes would have set their sights on. With an inviting motto of ‘Games Wide Open’, these games offer each one of them an opportunity to realize their ambitions, achieve sporting goals and leave behind a trail of world records to beat. Goals, however, are not just meant for the sporting world. We all have our own goals, even if they are defined and implemented to different degrees.
Goals are targets. Goals are inspirations. Goals are motivating. Goals are fulfilling. They can come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on an individual’s background, thoughts and aspirations, they can be quite diverse and the reasons that drive them, equally varied. They can be routine or creative, short-term or long-term, worldly or spiritual, financial or familial, personal or philanthropic and so on. Goals are focused towards bringing about a perceived improvement in one’s standing in some field, be it money, health, career, role, possessions, achievements or self-development. They will be meaningful, though they will not mean the same thing to two different people. They could be incremental. They could be changeable. In effect, their innate power lies in the fact that they can be destinations and steps at the same time.
In Indian mythology, the epic of Mahabharata holds an unparalleled place.1 There are several inspirational tales whose genesis lies in the lives of its diverse characters. One that is relevant to our discourse goes thus. The revered guru Dronacharya once gave all his able students a test of skill and concentration. He placed a wooden bird on a tree and asked all his students to shoot it in its eye. He then asked them what they could see while taking aim. While the other students responded variously with branches, tree, bird and such, it was Arjuna, one of the five Pandava brothers and an archer-par-excellence, who replied that he could only see the eye of the bird. And then it was no wonder that he was the only one who was able to shoot with perfect aim.
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In order to go after your goals with a determined mind and positive attitude, you need to first define them with clarity and conviction. We all know that goals at work should be SMART.3 To be able to set yourself those even outside a workplace, you need to introspect and ask yourself honest questions that help you think through your life’s priorities. Even if you achieve your goals late or in part, at least you are on the way to accomplishing them, and the pride of achievement is yours to cherish.
We cannot help you with all your goals in life but we can enable you with two significant means towards achieving them.
- Time: Make time to work some more, play way more, and relax even more with your family and friends, by leaving your investment worries with us. We will watch your back, the way we have always done. Simple and unobtrusive, and yet dependable and reassuring. That brings us to one of our goals – leaving you with that ease and peace of mind that in turn gives you the time and freedom to realize all those dreams that bring you profound joy and deep fulfillment. Read all about us here.
- Money: Invest with us and check your dashboard periodically at your convenience, to watch the progress. We offer an attractive and diverse range of portfolios at low-costs. Changing either your strategy or your investments will only be a few clicks away at all times. To help you stay on course in your investing journey with us, you will have access to our nifty goal tracker from your dashboard. It will allow you to set and adjust goals whenever you want, based on which our simulation engine will automatically create a new projection for you. A goal can be set for any purpose by choosing a name, an amount, and how far it is in the future.
Wayne Gretzky, the famous ice hockey player once said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” And if you focus on the eye of the bird, there is a good chance your arrow will hit the spot. The folk tale might be a myth, but goals are real. As is the satisfaction that comes from achieving them. Real, and really rewarding. Always worth the shot.
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/masterofall
Via SHUTTERSTOCK
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata
3 https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/smart-goals/
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