I haven’t watched The Mandorlian, ok? Neither the first or second season. I don’t have Disney+. And I certainly didn’t purchase Disney+ with the sole intention of watching The Mandalorian. I have better things to do with my time, ok? So just accept that at face value and move on. That said, though I haven’t watched The Mandalorian and have no plans to, one could assume that a clear story arc is visible. Not that I would ever care about such things, but for sake of argument, let’s just say that I did.
I haven’t watched The Mandalorian or anything related to Star Wars, but to be safe, assume that this article contains *minor spoilers related to its universe*. Do with that what you will.
From what I’ve gathered about The Mandalorian – from nerds online, not personal experience of course – the show follows the story of a Mandalorian and his pal, baby Yoda (not his real name, but that doesn’t matter, dweeb). If you don’t know anything about Star Wars, like me, the Mandalorian is basically a bounty hunter. Just like Dog. Baby Yoda is a small, green, Gremlin-looking creature that has trouble communicating.
But who cares? I don’t.
All you really need to know is that the Mandalorian has been tasked with keeping baby Yoda safe until he can be handed over to a responsible parent or guardian. From there, hijinks and quests ensue. All the while, the story continues to push that main narrative forward – get baby Yoda to safety. With each episode, that reality gets a little closer. Thus, leading us to the first tip in goal setting that I didn’t, I repeat, didn’t learn from Star Wars. I learned it somewhere else, ok? It’s relevant though so might as well mention it here.
Keep Asking Questions until You Find the Right Answer
When pursuing a goal, you may find yourself going in the wrong direction despite your best efforts. When that happens, stay curious. Keep asking questions. Keep looking for answers. Eventually, you’ll find the right path. For instance, last year I gained 35 lbs. If you’re curious as to how that happened, I wrote about it here. Of those 35 lbs, 20 were put on by a goal I had set for myself. A goal ironically set to counteract the weight gain I was experiencing. Instead, the opposite occurred.
I didn’t give up though. Instead, I kept asking questions. I reached out to an expert. I watched videos and stayed determined to find the right path. Eventually, that led me to a couple different books that made a lot of sense. I’ve since applied their lessons and have, wonderfully, begun to lose weight. It’s still early days, but I’m seeing positive results. It’s reassuring.
With your own goals, stay curious. Keep asking questions and keep looking for answers. The first goal you set may not take you to where you want to go. However, if you keep searching you will make progress. It’s inevitable. To help aid in your journey, find:
- Books,
- Authors,
- Interviews,
- Videos,
- Tutorials,
- And friends all knowledgeable on the subject.
Learn from them. Then, apply those lessons to your goals. Keep asking questions until you find the right answer. Until you start to move in the direction you desire. Speaking of the right path, that reminds me of another Star Wars tale that I haven’t seen, The Bad Batch.
Let Your Goals Guide You Forward
The Bad Batch is a new Disney+ show that I also haven’t seen. But it sounds lame anyway, so who cares. Let’s just pretend though that it’s not. Let’s pretend that it’s awesome, purely for the sake of this article. But again, I wouldn’t know. That said, because it’s so new, I don’t want to give too much away. (There’s nothing for me to give away anyway, since, you know, I haven’t seen it.) Briefly though, it’s about some rogue clones figuring out their place within a new regime.
Again, if you don’t know anything about Star Wars, like me, imagine an army of cloned Tom Hanks’ from Saving Private Ryan. A handful of them are different than the rest of their brothers though. And when the government experiences a revolution, this handful feels itself on the outs. Being in a tough spot, they decide to flee and seek shelter elsewhere. They have other things on their mind, but their main priority at the beginning is safety.
It’s that pursuit which leads me to the second goal setting tip that I once again, didn’t learn from Star Wars. I learned it from somewhere else, ok? Stop pestering me about it! It’s not from Star Wars! Anyways…
Let your goals guide you forward. Let them serve as a north star, leading you to a more fulfilling life. Just like the long-lost friend that the Batch encounters, a fellow clone who deserted and has since started a family, prioritizing fulfillment over fighting, you can do the same. Don’t set goals for vanity, guilt, or responsibility. Instead set them for fulfillment.
For example, one of my current goals is to complete two books a month.
I love learning. It fills me up. By consistently reading, I’m consistently learning, which I’m all about. Because of that, last year I completed over one book a week. A result that may seem impressive to the outsider. However, I don’t read for that reason. I read because I love to learn, to challenge myself, to grow. In turn, that goal adds more fulfillment to my life. So with your goals, use them to guide you towards a more fulfilling life as well.
Make Changes as You Go
In the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, another show that I haven’t seen, there is a character named Ahsoka Tano who eventually leaves the Jedi order after becoming disillusioned. For those like me who haven’t… ugh… who am I kidding. You clearly see right through my facade. Yes, I admit it. I love Star Wars. I have Disney+ and regularly spend time going through its Star Wars catalog. You caught me. Let’s just move on before I start blushing even more.
Anyway, for those that don’t know, a Jedi is basically just a knight with a sword (like those in the King Arthur days). As Ahsoka learned more about her environment, she decided to leave the order she had once believed so much in. This leads me to my third and final goal setting tip that I did, in fact, learn from Star Wars just like the other two: make changes as you go. As you learn new things and have new experiences, feel free to change your goals. If you set a goal to run a mile a day but realize you hate running, change it. Or if running a mile a day feels too easy, go ahead and make it harder.
There’s nothing that states that your goal has to be locked in forever. If it’s serving you, if it’s adding fulfillment to your life, keep it. If it’s not, change it.
Imagine you’re a carpenter. One day a friend comes by and shows you a better way to put together a table. Do you ignore the friend? Of course not! You learn and apply their wisdom. So too should that be the case for your goals. If you read a new book, or hear something insightful, or experience a revelation, change your goals accordingly.
Moving Forward with Star Wars
Whether you’re into Star Wars or not, there are lessons to be learned. Take advantage of them and make goal success that much more likely for yourself.
- Keep asking questions until you find the right answer.
- Let your goals guide you forward.
- Make changes as you go.
Take a page from The Mandalorian. Stay curious until you find the best path. Remember The Bad Batch. Let those goals lead you to a more fulfilling life. And keep in mind Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars. As you learn new things, update your goals accordingly. Star Wars is more than lightsabers and Death Stars. In fact, just like with any great story, if it lights you up, there is wisdom to be gained. Be on the lookout for it.
In the case of Star Wars, there are surely more than just three tips to be had in the realm of goal setting. But for now, may the force be with you.
PS: Let me show you how to achieve your goals.
