What are the 2 false friends of Goal-setting?

Every day, we conduct ourselves under the auspices of two great illusions – 2 false friends. They are the illusion of space (that things are separate from one another) and the illusion of time (that time is linear). 
These illusions are useful to a point – but only to a point. Find out more about this point in our webinar.

 

For yogi goal setting we can allow ourselves the illusion of time – as long as we’re aware it is an illusion. However, the illusion of space (that I am actually separate from my goal) is not something we can maintain if we are to hope to hit it in this lifetime!

Space: Jnana Yoga is the philosophy of yoga. Crucially for the topic of Goal-setting - it’s a monist philosophy. This is the belief that all appearances of a separateness are an illusion – all things are in fact, one. This differs greatly from most western philosophies – which are dualist – which believe that I am not one with everything – that there is an actual real separation between things and between me and things.
The fact that most of western philosophy and religion is founded on Dualism is why the way of thinking required for Yogi Goal Setting is a stretch for us. But hey, if it ain’t a stretch, it ain't yoga. So our main job in Yogi Goal setting is to allow ourselves to drop the illusion of our separation from our goal – and to try to embody the Yogic concept of reality –the connectedness of all things – through a steady meditation practice.

Time: Even in the west know we know that our notion of time is illusory – but it is pretty useful for catching trains and all. In the same way, we can allow ourselves a certain amount of linear thinking – but only if we are aware, deep down, that this is just a concept we are adopting because it serves us. Milestones can’t, in the strictest sense, exist. But they are a pretty useful concept – so let’s allow ourselves that construct.

Truth is that we live with many illusions every day – the work we need to do is to take them out, dust them off, see which serve and which don’t. and keep the ones we like, aware that they have no more actual reality than that which we give them. So though milestones are really quite linear and western-minded-thinking – I tend to allow myself them – but this makes it all the more important to consistently practice connecting with the Truth – which is the non-separation between me and my goal – either thru time or space. An awareness and consistent embodiment of this Truth is vital if we’re to allow ourselves small illusions along the way.

This is done through a steady meditation practice. Join us for a webinar on how to set goals the yogic way.