What the Old Monk Knew about Goal Achievement

Dive into ancient wisdom for modern success. Learn how a 4th-century monk's insights can revolutionize your goals today. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ [Full Focus]( {NAME}, The young traveler didn’t know what to expect from the old monk, but he knew he wanted to listen to whatever he would say. “If we don’t follow a path, our work is a journey that goes nowhere,” said the revered elder, Abba Moses of Scetis. It might seem strange to ask a monk about goals, but that’s what John Cassian did. Toward the end of the fourth century, in the last century of the Roman Empire, Cassian traveled through Egypt with his friend Germanus interviewing monks about life. Abba Moses had a lot to say about goals. Life without Goals Abba Moses told Cassian that goals keep us focused. He compared our goals to our mind’s home base. “When the mind doesn’t have a headquarters to return to and to keep in close contact with,” he said, “it will inevitably get bounced around by all sorts of distractions, and it will just keep taking on the shape of whatever external stimulus it comes across next.” That happens to all of us, doesn’t it? When we’re not focused on our goals, we’re reactive instead of proactive. We drift with the currents of life and move wherever the winds blow us. But goals keep us oriented. They give us direction. They provide a path to keep us from going nowhere. The trick is that immediate goals aren’t enough on their own. Short-Term and Long-Term Goals Abba Moses made a distinction that can help us today. “Every acquired skill or discipline,” he said, “has a scopos and a telos, some immediate goal and some ultimate goal. . . .” We can distinguish between short-term and long-term goals. When we’re doing it right, according to Abba Moses, these two kinds of goals work together, reinforcing each other. Without both, we struggle to make real progress. He gave several examples. A farmer’s immediate goal, for instance, is tending his field, while his ultimate goal is the harvest. If he focuses only on the short term, he’ll lose the perspective that inspires his day-to-day hard work. And if he focuses on just the long term, he won’t undertake the immediate actions necessary to reap the final reward. You’ve got to have both. Missing Perspective Annual goals are essential for achieving the Double Win. If we want to win at work and succeed at life, we have to have compelling accomplishments in the various domains of life, or, like Abba Moses said, we’ll default to whatever pulls our attention the hardest. We’ll get distracted. We’ve all been there. But without long-term goals, our short-term goals run the risk of not adding up to much. We can have successful days, even years, and fall short of a meaningful life. The solution? Setting long-range targets—having something to aim for that gives meaning, context, and direction to our short-term goals. That’s why we created [LifeFocus.™]( a revolutionary new life-planning system that equips you with a long-range vision to contextualize and energize your annual goals. The Struggle Is Real, but the Answer Is Here A lot of us struggle to achieve our annual goals. We’ve all seen the statistics on New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’re struggling with some of your goals right now. It’s possible the missing ingredient is a larger context, the longer-term perspective that gives meaning and motivation to your immediate goals. Or maybe you’re crushing your goals but don’t have a clear sense of where it’s all heading. Where will you be in 10 years? What will it matter? [LifeFocus]( is designed to simplify and streamline the life-planning process so you can get the long-range perspective you need to stay the course and work toward your dreams. Go back to what Abba Moses said: “If we don’t follow a path, our work is a journey that goes nowhere.” [LifeFocus helps you create the path you need](. To your long-term vision, Full Focus ________________________________ Our Mission We believe everyone deserves to win at work and succeed at life. Our mission is to make it nearly impossible for people not to get the Double Win®. Connect with Full Focus [Explore the Full Focus Store]( Offering tools to help you win at work and succeed at life... what we call the "Double Win." [Life planning that's simple, fun, and effective]( Meet LifeFocus, a game-changing new life planning system. Now available for pre-order. [Conquer goals with a planner that actually works]( Named Best Daily Planner by Forbes Magazine, the Full Focus Planner is the ultimate tool for productivity and goal achievement. [Become a Full Focus Certified Pro]( Train others to use the life-changing Full Focus System. Need help? [Get in touch with our support team]( [( [( [LinkedIn]( [Manage Your Email Preferences]( Please only [Unsubscribe]( if you are 100% sure you never want to hear from us again. Full Focus 108 4th Avenue South Suite 209 Franklin, TN 37064