Goal Setting And Natural Instinct

Have you ever noticed that people are often guided towards specific goals or accomplishments more by instinct than by conscious design? Although humans are far more complex than animals and are capable of choosing their own direction via logic and free will, we are still guided by instinct as much as the animal kingdom.

Consider for a moment the most basic of personal goals: finding a loving mate to share one's life with. When we were young children there really wasn't much difference between boys and girls, aside from playtime interests. Boys and girls would play together, oblivious or uncaring of any anatomical or physical differences. Romance was the last thing on their mind.

Then as we grew older suddenly the opposite sex began looking a lot more attractive. We felt an inner yearning to find a perfect partner, and once we did we wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him or her as possible. Although we might have been mindful of our desire to find a partner, the desire itself was natural instinct.

I firmly believe most personal goals are as driven by instinct as was romance in the example above. Survival is a natural instinct, which can lead to a desire to lose weight or become more physically fit. Self-improvement and the desire to be better than our peers is a natural instinct, and although we generally don't try to prove our superiority on the battlefield to determine pecking order as the animals do, we do set personal goals that can bring us added money, power and recognition.

One of the things I've always embraced in both life and the business world is working off instinct rather than overanalyzing a subject to death. Natural instinct can sometimes lead you astray (which is where logic and intellect enters the equation), but for the most part instinct is a good thing and should be embraced and nurtured rather than suppressed. Humans and animals alike are created with certain instincts for very good reason: instincts serve as a broad sketch for a longer and healthier life.

Always embrace your instincts. Sure, you must temper them with forethought and intellect so that you can ensure your goals are not in some manner a double-edged sword (i.e., unbridled greed can cause us to break the law, thereby hurting others and placing ourselves in jail), but natural instinct and goal setting go hand-in-hand.