Self-Actualization as a Primary Goal could be great for many reasons. The process is what the brain has in mind for us and supports growth with happiness chemicals. So just the act of trying to improve who you are can have major happiness benefits.
A goal striving for promotion or material gains is also noble but paved with lots of resistance and frustrations unless there is another factor. That factor is passion. The great thing about passion is that engagement is the primary desire and the results are frequently secondary. This is a form of self-actualization.
Select a Strategy to Be Better
Becoming better at your desired activity is a solid strategy for the first two goals of promotion and material gain. The world seems to reward those with the biggest contributions and so becoming great at the activity for which you want to be rewarded is self-actualization.
Self-actualization can include more activities than perhaps a simpler goal of one objective. Getting better includes mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual development. This is the process for reaching our true potential. Along the way we start noticing that everything we want starts falling in place and we might not be as excited for that as we are about our continued progress.
Perfecting Who You Are Can Attract the Desired Attention
In the process of developing, one’s skills or craft, monetary rewards may start accumulating. The truly devoted take this in stride and as a measurement that they are progressing. Once on the path of self-development like an extreme athlete or entrepreneur, there are no ceilings envisioned, only continuous development. The reason is that the process is the exciting part not the end point. Dean Potter, soloist rock climber, says he climbs for the feelings, not to get on top of rocks.
Think more about how you want to live or what processes you want to engage in more than what you want to achieve. A marathoner will have a much easier time of accomplishing his goal if running becomes who he is as opposed to working for just one event. A writer will have a much easier time if he sees himself as a writer trying to improve his skills than setting a goal of writing for an award.
The idea is to become what it is you want to be. This includes lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices include time management to ensure the most important activities to reach your lifestyle get the most energy and few distractions. If one wants to become a CEO, it might be more practical to develop the skills of a CEO rather than just chart the course necessary in a particular company. Outstanding or peak performances as sought by extreme athletes have a way of standing out and attracting recognition.
