Turn Your Aspirations Into Pursuits
The pursuits of adults are often clear. Promotions at work. Creating a strong family. Building wealth. Serving others in need.
The pursuits of adolescents and young adults are less clear … to adults and even to themselves.
But turning aspirations into pursuits is some of the most important work we do.
What do I call a “pursuit” and why are they important?
Aspirations are dreams with no plan.
Goals are plans with no meaning.
Pursuits connect aspirations, meaningful goals, and plans to achieve them.
Why? Pursuits are meaningful like aspirations and actionable like goals. They are never complete, like aspirations, but satisfy us with real achievement along the way, like goals.
Your pursuits represent the happiness you hope for, work towards, may or may not achieve, but would not live without pursuing, for example …
A career (engineering anyone?)
A friendship (short or long term, but true!)
A project (impact the good of others)
An experience (to form your heart and mind)
How do you turn aspirations into pursuits?
First, name 3 aspirations that you could act on:
One to start right now if you could (and you can)
A second to pursue if the first one, for whatever reason, disappears (and it might)
A third to pursue as if money and reputation do not matter (because they make us say “No” too quickly)
Then, I help you pursue one of them at the pace that is right for you by developing in you an ability to
Articulate the aspiration
Have conversations about it with “experts” you trust
Set, track, and revise goals for that pursuit
Your effort + others’ experience = progress.
Would you like a deeper dive? Here is my Aspirations To Pursuits Method.
As you learn week by week, you see that what you are already doing can serve your pursuits.