“The path will make itself known when the aim is firm in mind.” ¹

What a bold, hopeful claim – the idea that simply clarifying your aim is the key to uncovering the way forward. Apparently, the very act of establishing a clear aim exponentially increases the odds of reaching it. 

I hadn’t thought about aim quite this way before. It invites reflection on the purpose behind, well, pretty much everything: work, marriage, parenting, health, friendship, meetings, hobbies and passions. It even moves me to consider the intent behind this very hour.

I’m awakened to the fact that my aims are often quite broad – hence the recurring frustration of not finding clear direction. As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably get there.” Establishing aim is a simple, yet profound invitation. Though not always an easy one to accept.

Ironically, it becomes less complicated the more chaotic your life feels. Deciding the next step when cleaning out a messy room probably comes easier than choosing where to make your next financial investment. Defining your aim can sometimes prove intricate and complex, but if the premise holds true, it becomes an inviting prospect for getting unstuck. Simply establish your aim for – once again – anything and everything: this conversation, this meeting, this hour, this morning, this weekend. This life?

I find the idea remarkably compelling, yet I still wander aimlessly through many days, as if without a map. Which brings me to another bold, haunting statement I recall, something like:

“Nothing is ever lost; things only become irretrievable. What is found then is not the thing itself, but the overgrown pathway, the hidden staircase, the ancient sewer.” ²

When you make a habit of establishing aim, you might be surprised what you recover – a deep passion, a childhood dream, a forgotten mission statement, existing connections, shared values, repressed energy, long-lost essence. 

Who knows what may emerge; from simply stating your intent? Remarkable.

So aim. Why don’t we?

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¹  From a podcast conversation between Andrew Huberman and Jordan Peterson

² Francois Aussermain