This is the Goal that Never Ends

In  therapy we've been talking about goals that have no real end to them. You know, basically continuous pursuits where the process of working towards them is what helps you to become them. However, because they are infinite, there isn't really a stopping point. You just, every day, continue to pursue these goals. I was given the assignment of thinking about five perpetual goals I want to pursue in my life. I decided to do the list here.

1. I want to become more encouraging. When I talk to people, I want to encourage them in a constructive and helpful way to work towards their own goals. To me, this is going to require practicing two major skills. The first is listening. To really be encouraging to others, you have to listen to what they are saying so you can understand what is truly important to them. Now, I will admit, this isn't always a strong suit with me. However, it is something I want to work towards.  The next skill required to be encouraging is strong communication abilities. There is a fine line between nagging and encouraging. I don't want to cross it.
   
2. I want to separate fact from opinion.  When I consider the facts of a situation, I want to be able to do so without assigning emotional opinions to these facts in ways that cloud my judgement. "I lost my job." Fact. "I am a failure." Opinion. If you decide that losing your job means you are a failure, you spin yourself into a state of hopelessness where you feel like you can't do any better. If, instead, you take a good hard look at where you made mistakes in said job, then work to correct those mistakes, you will be better equipped for the next job that comes along.
   
3. I want to be more be more confident. I want to understand my mind and body, pay attention to the world around me, and trust my instincts and skills to handle my life. I want to not be afraid to make mistakes or to be embarrassed. I want to be able to do my workouts and not think about who might be outside watching. I want to speak up when I know I should. I want to stand up for myself and the people I love. I want to always remember I have just as much worth as everyone else.
   
4. I want to promote joy. I don't want to put out negative energy. I don't want to discourage others from doing what they love just because I see no merit in it. I want to be happy for others when they are happy. I want them to know their moments are important. I want to be kind and smile at the people I come into contact with. I want to laugh and do things to make others laugh as well. Along with this, I should probably stop sneering at children.
   
5. I want to be active in my health. I don't just mean my physical health here. I mean my mental health, my emotional health, and my spiritual health. I want to experience healing on all levels. I want to become stronger and more aware of who I am in this current state. I want to practice the habits that make being healthy easier. 

As I said, these goals are the kind that are never ending. You work on them every day. Some days you do pretty well, other days, you screw up all of them. Even when you do though, you start again the next morning trying to make them happen again. I'm sure some people would see the list as rather Pollyanna and that's perfectly okay. For me though, I based a lot of it on the things that are making me happy . . . as well as the things I find I just don't want to be a part of anymore. So from now on, I will do my best to keep these things in mind. Especially the joy one. The world could use some more joy.