I’m starting to get sailing.

It’s funny to write that at the end of December when our boat is up on poppets at the boatyard and will be for months. But it’s true, I’m starting to figure it out.

I used to think that the boat went in the direction that the wind is blowing. But that’s what would happen in a boat with no rudder (and no keel).

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At one point, I set a goal to have 500 students at my music school. We didn’t hit it.

Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t hit it. That sounds like too many students to manage. The goal was divorced from its context and the necessary infrastructure to support achieving it. It was arbitrary.

I know that lots of people are motivated by big goals like that. If the goal is designed to be too ambitious to reach, it pumps them up and they end up achieving more than they otherwise would have.

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In the food court of Concourse A at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, there is a guy who is really good at his job.

Not only does he keep the napkins stocked and the seating area tidy on the busiest of days, he will even approach travelers to clear their trash when they are finished with their meals instead of waiting for them to take care of it themselves. Pleasant but not overly friendly, he conducts himself with brisk efficiency. No energy is wasted or misdirected.

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It’s a weird thing to be cast in the role of naysayer on someone’s journey to greatness.

I believe that people can achieve great things if they have the belief in their ability to do so and a strong plan to back it up.

However, having only the belief isn’t always enough. The enthusiasm and motivation will peter out with repeated exposure to hardship if a person isn’t prepared for that.

As a teacher and coach, I’ve sometimes been the one to suggest that someone modify their plan or pursue an incremental goal on the way to the massive, ground-breaking, world-shaking achievement they are seeking. These suggestions are not always welcome. My character is definitely not making it to the second act when this story is turned into a movie.

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Sometimes, we get attached to a particular goal that we think we have to reach.

Perhaps this goal has been with us for so long that we don’t even question whether it is something we want to achieve -- it’s become our destiny.

The “why” behind a goal like this might be simply, “Because I feel like it.” Sometimes, asking “why” becomes an obstacle to doing something challenging (“I have to figure out why I have this resistance to asking for a raise”) or a needless distraction (“I have to figure out why I don’t like going to kids’ birthday parties”) or can only become clearer as you move forward (“Why do I love Busby Berkley musicals so much?”).

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