37. Goals, feeling proud

On what occasions would adults feel proud of themselves?

What makes people proud of themselves?

Well, most adults feel proud of their accomplishments, whether they are connected with their professional activity or personal growth. For example, people may feel proud when they get recognized for their work, get a promotion or high-paying job. Also, people may feel proud when they support good causes, make charitable donations or help their friends and relatives resolve problems or conflicts. Another thing that makes people proud of themselves is when they manage to deal with some life difficulties. For instance, some people manage to avoid repeating the same mistakes, persist and don't give up when things get tough, overcome their fears and reach their goals. Finally, people may feel proud of the status and wealth they achieved, for example they managed to buy a car or flat, or something they had been dreaming about for a while.

Does everyone set goals for themselves?

Definitely not. Some people may not set goals due to various reasons, including lack of motivation, fear of failure, perfectionism, uncertainty about the future, past experiences, and difficulty in prioritizing. For example, people who live in a war-torn country may experience significant uncertainty about their future, making it challenging to set long-term goals. These individuals, who are often referred to as war refugees or internally displaced persons, may face limited access to resources and opportunities, and their focus may be on survival and immediate needs rather than planning for the future. Another reason why people prefer not to set goals is perfectionism. Perfectionists may avoid setting goals as they are afraid that anything less than perfection will be considered a failure. Also, individuals who have had negative experiences with goal-setting in the past may be hesitant to set goals again 'cause they want to avoid disappointment, and those who struggle with prioritization may find it difficult to set specific objectives.

Which is more important, personal goals or work goals?

Well, I'd say it depends on the person's priorities at some point in their life as both personal and professional goals are important when we want to make the most of our life potential. Life is always about balance and the goals we set are not an exception. Professional goals are very important because they are an excellent tool to handle our career effectively as they guide our advancement in the appropriate direction and work as great indicators to measure the improvement we've made. Personal goals are certainly important too as they act as a kind of stepping stones to a happier life helping us focus, get a sense of purpose and take control of our own lives, which as a result, helps us achieve wellbeing or in other words a condition of flourishing where we thrive in many aspects of our life. So, both are definitely very important at different stages of life.

Do people usually set different goals at different stages of life?

Is there any difference between children's ambitions and those of grown-ups?

Absolutely! I think this happens because as we get older, we start to view life differently and, as a result, experience changes in the aspects of life we consider important. For another thing, both our needs and values change as we pass through different stages in life, from our childhood to adulthood. In our teens, we usually want to save money to buy some cool gadget or toy. Also, as teens we usually strive for wining in some contests or championships, visiting some place, or learning something and getting good marks at school. As we start into college, our focus changes into getting good grades to be competitive when we start looking for a job. As we become young professionals, our goal is to grow both personally and professionally, and earn good money. The next stage is to create a strong and friendly family. And then, when we reach middle age and older, we focus on staying healthy and prolonging our life. To sum up, our goals change due to the fact that during life we undergo different steps, development and transformation that make us require and necessitate various things