The Illusion of Goals. (5 min 12 sec)

Let’s get real for a minute. Everybody’s running around setting goals, year in and year out. It’s like this annual ritual—goal-setting season, the same way Santa Claus comes around every December. And I’m not just talking about your little workout goals or those Instagram-worthy relationship goals, where you promise yourself that this year, you won’t tolerate nonsense anymore.

Let me ask you: if your goals work so well, why do you have to keep setting them every year? Why are you always chasing the next thing? You’re never satisfied. You know it. And deep down, you can feel it.

Here’s the thing about goals: they’re just another game the ego plays to keep you distracted. They’re like shiny objects in a dream. And what does A Course in Miracles say about this world? It’s a reflection of your thoughts. A projection. And goals? Goals are just another reflection of the ego’s need to chase, to strive, to prove.

Think about it: eternity doesn’t need goals. What’s the goal of infinity? To expand? To improve? To achieve something? No. Eternity is. It exists fully in the present. It doesn’t need a finish line because it knows there’s nowhere to go.

But the ego? Oh, the ego loves goals. It whispers in your ear, “When you achieve this, then you’ll finally be happy. Then you’ll finally be enough.” And what happens when you get there? So what?

“I just graduated from Harvard with a PhD.” So what?

“I just bought a $10,000 dog imported from Japan.” So what?

“I just got drafted into the NFL.” So what?

“I just got married, bought a house, and started a family.” So what?

The truth is, no goal—no matter how big, shiny, or impressive—can fill the void the ego convinces you is there. Because that void isn’t real. The ego made it up, and it keeps you chasing to keep the illusion alive.

And here’s another question for you: what happens when you don’t achieve your goals? Do you spiral? Do you feel like a failure? The ego wins either way. Achieve the goal, and it says, “That’s not enough—set another one.” Fail the goal, and it says, “See? You’re not enough.” It’s a rigged game.

The Goal of the Ego vs. The Reality of Eternity

Ego goals are based on lack. They’re built on the belief that you are separate—from happiness, from peace, from God. But here’s the kicker: you’re not. You’re already whole. You don’t need to chase anything because there’s nothing missing.

Eternity doesn’t need a goal because it’s complete. And you? You’re an expression of that eternity. You’re not here to do something or achieve something. You’re here to be.

Reality is What Is

Goals are just another way of trying to control reality. But reality doesn’t care about your plans. Reality is what is. You think a tsunami checks your vision board before it hits? You think your meticulously planned “generational wealth” scheme matters when the earth shakes or the markets crash?

Let me tell you a story. I was talking to a lady the other day. She asked if I’d ever been married. I told her no. And she went on to tell me about her 15-year marriage that ended in divorce. I told her, “You know, I’ve never had much confidence in something with such a terrible success rate.”

I wasn’t attacking marriage—it’s neutral, just a concept, a thought. It’s not marriage that fails; it’s the people who bring their baggage, fears, and ego-driven expectations into it. And then, when it doesn’t work out, they blame marriage itself instead of looking inward.

Why Goals Are a Distraction

Here’s the ultimate question: Why would eternity need a goal? It wouldn’t. Goals are the ego’s way of keeping you busy, distracted, and stuck in the illusion of time. The ego knows you can only find peace in the present, so it dangles the future in front of you like a carrot.

But here’s the truth: everything you’re looking for is already here. Peace, love, abundance—it’s all within you. Goals won’t bring it to you because they’re rooted in the illusion that you lack it.

Instead of setting goals, what if you just made a decision? Decisions happen in the moment. Goals are about the future. You don’t need a goal to get from New York to California. You just decide, book the flight, and go. It’s that simple.

The Ego’s Game is Up

So let’s call it what it is. Goals are no more real than the persona you project or the material world you think defines you. They’re just another trick of the ego, keeping you chasing after something you already have.

What say I? I say stop playing the game. Stop chasing shadows. Stop setting yourself up for disappointment with goals that don’t mean anything.

Instead, ask yourself this: What happens if I just be? What happens if I let go of the need to achieve and simply exist in the fullness of who I already am?

#thinkgod
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you