On Goals and Learning
Having a goal gives you direction. It helps you think about how to reach it—what methods and strategies to use—and encourages you to take focused, efficient action. I believe that through repeatedly striving toward goals, and sometimes experiencing setbacks, people naturally improve.
However, when the desire to achieve a goal becomes too strong or uncontrolled, it can backfire. You may feel as though you're getting closer to your goal, but in reality, you might not be making any real progress at all.
In our wood carving classes, we’ve created a curriculum designed to help students build a solid foundation through basic techniques. But sometimes, people are dismissive of the basics. They often come in with a specific goal—like wanting to carve a certain figure or style right away.
It’s perfectly fine to have that kind of ambition. But to carve something like “XXX,” you must first master the fundamentals and gradually build up your skills. In other words, achieving a major goal requires a series of smaller, intermediate goals—starting with the basics.
If you don’t recognize this, you might start thinking that the fundamentals are just a waste of time—something to rush through so you can get to the “real” work. But when the basics are skipped or taken lightly, progress becomes painfully slow. Ironically, this only delays your ability to achieve your original goal. That’s the hidden danger of having goals without respecting the steps required to reach them.
That’s why I believe while goals can be important, it’s also perfectly okay not to have a clear goal at the beginning.
What matters more is continuing to ask yourself:
“What do I want to do right now?”
“What can I do—and what can’t I do—at this moment?”
Staying grounded in this kind of honest reflection is often what leads to the most meaningful and lasting progress.