A Creative Life – Goal or No Goal

The Power of Letting Go—Achieving More Without Goals

In a world that glorifies ambition and constant striving, what if the greatest success comes from surrender? Setting goals can bring focus, but could it also limit the vast potential of infinite possibility? Is it possible that by releasing the need for structured goals, we allow life to unfold in ways beyond what we could ever plan?

Bullet Points for Main Article

• Are goals guiding your life—or limiting your potential? Explore the paradox of structure vs. surrender and discover a new way to embrace life's unfolding.

• What if true success isn’t about achieving, but about allowing? Let go of rigid expectations and step into a more intuitive, expansive way of living.

• Have you outgrown the need for goals? In the second half of life, goal-setting may no longer serve you. Learn why trusting the flow could be your greatest transformation.

• Can surrender lead to something greater than ambition? Dive into a conversation about creativity, purpose, and how releasing control might just open the door to infinite possibility.

To Have Goals or Not? Chasing the Horizon

This A Creative Life newsletter is, in many ways, a sharing of the conversation I have with myself as I embark on what has been called the journey of the self to the SELF (Patanjali). I share with you the challenges and triumphs along the way—not as dramatic events, but as moments of clarity that emerge when I get out of my own way.

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." — Rainer Maria Rilke

There’s a theme unfolding in my life right now, and while I’m not quite sure how to define it, I know it has something to do with goals. More specifically, I find myself asking: Should I have goals or not? This question arose after watching an 84-year-old man on YouTube outlining his goals for the next ten years. While I admired his clarity, something about it left me unsettled.

I recently watched another video in which a retiree shared his approach to life after work. Much of his advice revolved around buying things and indulging in leisure. While practical, it lacked any emphasis on creativity or service to others. It made me question: What is the role of an elder if not to offer wisdom beyond material gain?

Goal-Setting – Caged Bird or Open Sky?

As I approach 75, I find myself questioning whether goals are still necessary. The answer that resonates with me is “No.” While goal-setting is a valuable skill in the first half of life—helping to establish a sense of purpose and direction—it can become a limitation in the second half. Goals keep us future-focused, bound by success and failure, rather than allowing life to unfold naturally.

"You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you." — Joseph Campbell

The Master’s approach was radical: Give no thought—let go and trust. This is my approach as well. I wake up without a list of tasks. I spend time in stillness, entering the silence of no-mind. I don’t need goals to “Live the life I love and get the blessings from above” (Van Morrison). Instead, I live from Presence, allowing inspiration to arise naturally.

What If Your Goals Are Keeping You Small?

Setting goals can be like going to a pond when the ocean is available. We are rarely taught how to trust the vast, infinite potential within us. Without rigid goals, I remain open—like the sky. Ideas come out of the blue. If they don’t, I know the issue lies in my resistance, not in the absence of possibility.

"You are a drop in the ocean and the Ocean in a drop." — Rumi

What if we reframed goals as intentions for expansion rather than achievements to chase? Instead of saying, "I will accomplish X," what if we said, "I will flow like a river, amazed by my own unfolding" (John O’Donohue)? Or, "I will live with the full moon in each eye, speaking that sweet moon language the world longs to hear" (Hafiz)? This is my mantra for my best goal of bringing light to the darkness that is identification with the sense of the separate personal self.

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." — Gospel of St. Thomas

These are my reflections on what is unfolding in my life this morning. What about you? Do you still set goals, or have you embraced a more fluid way of living? If you’re in your second half of life, how has your relationship with ambition and purpose evolved?

What Are Your Thoughts? Let’s Continue the Conversation

In a world that often equates success with achievement, what if true fulfillment lies in surrender? What if letting go of rigid goals allows life to unfold in ways more profound than anything we could plan?

I’ve shared my reflections on the evolving relationship with goals, but this is just one perspective. Now, I’d love to hear from you.

• Do you still set structured goals, or have you embraced a more intuitive way of living?

• Has your perspective on ambition and purpose shifted over time?

• What practices help you trust the unfolding of your own life?

Your insights matter. Leave a comment below and share your experience—I’d love to continue this conversation with you. If this reflection resonated with you, consider liking, sharing, or subscribing to This Creative Life so we can explore these deeper questions together.

Let's navigate this journey—not with fixed destinations, but with openness, curiosity, and the courage to trust what unfolds.

Tony Cuckson – Cordressagagh - Ireland