Far be it for me to say that I know all about the meaning of life. I don’t think anyone has a completely firm grasp on the concept, but that gives us the opportunity to grow and to learn. That is partly why it is so important to have goals in your life, because they give you a sense of purpose and a sense of direction. You have a better idea of where you’re headed when you can point out the destination on a map… or at least have a compass that gets you facing the right way.

But what happens when you reach that destination? What happens when you finally achieve the goal that you’ve been so earnestly chasing for such a long time? What do you do when you feel like the dog that finally caught up to the car? After chasing after so many cars for so many years, the dog in you has finally done it. Now what?

Beware of “Empty” Goals

Growing up, we were always told about the value of goal-setting. Otherwise, you could be left dilly-dallying your way through life, allowing the days to pass you by with nothing substantial to show for it. To make the goals more meaningful, we were also instructed on the importance of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. These took what may have otherwise been simple dreams into tangible objectives.

However, that’s only part of the equation.

One of the biggest questions you have to ask when setting your goals is why. Why is this goal important to you? Why do you want to accomplish? Why will it make your life better or more worthwhile? If you have a hard time finding the intrinsic value in its accomplishment, you may be looking at an empty goal.

It’s like the dog chasing after the car. Why is he chasing after the car? What value does catching the car give him? It’s not like wild dogs hunting for their meals; the domesticated dog really has no use for a Volkswagen.

But Do Goals Really Matter at All?

You might think of it as the whole “carrot on a stick philosophy,” but for my part, I think that there is some value to goals, their accomplishment, and their related rewards. That said, I’d say that there is more value in thinking about your goals not as destinations, but as waypoints.

No goal, in and of itself, can really be considered the absolute realization of everything that life has to offer and everything that you wish to gain from life. That’s just not possible.

Remember that it’s about the journey and the goals help you establish some of the sight-seeing attractions that you may encounter along the way. Goals, even empty ones, can at the very least put items on your travel itinerary.