True Goals

Here is how I really discovered what my true goals were.  Pretending that money was no longer an issue (I would never need to earn money for the rest of my life), I looked to see what I could do that would contribute to society.

Being a photographer, I immediately thought of doing art prints and portraits.  But could I really do anything with those that hasn’t been done before?  Probably not.  There was my cherished computer design project that I started back in high school.  Yes, it would enrich society, but for how long?  How much of an impact would it have?  It wouldn’t be Earth-shattering.  Could I start on it before I got my millions?  Not easily.  And then there was my book project that got started 5 years before and never seemed important enough to continue working on.  Books have had an incredible influence on my life, and I felt that what I had to say was unique enough and important enough that it had to be done.  Ideas are the driving force of the world.  Many books continue to have influence for generations, even hundreds of years!  Yes, this is what I would contribute to society even after I had my millions, and I can get started on it before then.

True goals are worthy pursuits (important) that will enrich the world we live in.  They must be something we would work on even if we had all the money we would ever need.  They are also things that we can start working on right where we are.  If I had decided that my computer project was the most important goal I had, then I would have started by learning more, making contacts with the people who could help me bring it into being, and finding out what other steps I could take.  Sometimes a goal requires that we prepare ourselves before we can start the ‘real work’.  And until the millions come in, we have to provide a marketable service for pay to meet our continuing obligations, whether that service be related to our goal or not.

How can we turn a true goal into a moneymaker?

Most of us do need an income while we work on our true goals.  If we can make working on our true goal something that will also pay the bills, so much the better.  In fact, if we can figure out how to get our true goal to earn money, statistics show that we will earn more money than we ever dreamed possible!  Rich people are rich because they are doing something they love so much, they continue doing it after they have money.

First step.  Is anyone making money while pursuing your true goal?  If yes, follow their example.  If no, is there any benefit of your goal that other people want?  If the answer is no, then how is your goal contributing to society?  If your goal doesn’t contribute to society, then it is not a true goal.  It is not the reason you were put on this Earth.  Try again.  So, a true goal has a benefit for which someone is willing to pay.  You just have to find out who is willing to pay.

Churches, governments, and philanthropists will all pay to have good deeds done for the world, even if no-one else will.  These are the people who pay to feed the homeless, or to provide medical treatment to 3rd world countries.  With the right approach, they may even pay your living expenses (pay you a salary) while you work on preparing yourself to work on your goal.

If your goal is along the lines of motivation, then the people you motivate will usually pay you.  Many speakers give lectures for which each person attending pays a fee to hear.  If this is your goal, all you have to do is prepare a speech and practice it.  Practicing in front of a live audience will be better.  Offer to speak for free to groups such as the YMCA, homeless shelters and missions, grade schools, and so on.  Not only will you get practice that will improve your skills, but you will also build a reputation that will help you get better paying engagements.  You can also promote yourself by appearing on the community channels of cable TV.  As far as I am aware of, it doesn’t cost anything, and the only requirement is that your ‘show’ cannot try to sell anything.

A lot of goals involve creating a new product, or providing a better service in the marketplace.  These types of goals have a very well worn pathway to fulfillment.  A little research will turn up a vast supply of information on how to pursue these goals and how to make money with them.  In the case of a product, first produce a prototype, then find investors and a team to help promote and produce the product.  With a service, offer it for free to family and friends to get referrals.  Raise prices slowly, and only when you get too busy at your current price structure.  Work out a system to make your service more efficient and profitable.  Create other systems to keep track of what needs to be done for whom, and still other systems to insure that all aspects of the business is taken care of.