Before I get into this, let me ask you something:
Why does anyone choose to set goals?
If you’re like me, your first guess is something like, Well, to accomplish them, of course!
It’s a good guess, but it’s not totally accurate.
Of course, you want to accomplish goals when you set them.
But what is the one why that gets to the heart of all why’s?
That particular why is this:
You set goals so that you become the kind of person to yourself–and to others–who can accomplish those goals.
Before you think I’m just blabbering on and talking in circles like a bad therapist, hear me out…
When you push yourself to accomplish more and more challenging goals, what you’re really doing is changing yourself as a person. It’s not about the goals. The feeling you get once you accomplish a goal is temporary. The more goals you accomplish, the more you realize it’s not about that feeling at all. It’s about becoming more enduring. It’s about building the capacity you have to withstand greater challenges, to be there for both yourself and the people around you.
This is exactly how it is with mental health.
When you choose to work on yourself, when you commit to improving your mental health, it’s not just about improving your mental health.
It’s about becoming a person who can improve your mental health. It’s about being that person for others. It’s about becoming stronger not just for yourself–but so that you can pass on what you have learned to other people. In the process, you lift yourself up, and you lift up the people around you.
Really, truly, think about that.
You don’t improve your mental health just to improve. You do it so that you become the kind of person who can improve your mental health.
It seems like a subtle difference, but it’s a much bigger deal than you think.
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