North Star

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

Our boss asked us to think about our ‘North Star’ – the light that we follow or the goal that we want to reach. What is it that keeps us motivated in life?

As a 23-year-old, I realised, I don’t think I necessarily have one. There are material things that I want, and I will be financially stable enough to obtain them; dogs, goats, a house, a motorbike, and there are places that I would love to visit; Italy, Amsterdam, New Zealand. Again, all these things do revolve around money and materialistic things. But I don’t have that one big thing to work towards – they’re all kind of like mini-goals that I have in my life, things that I would like to do, and probably will, but they’re not the huge ‘be all and end all’ that I want from my life. The one goal that I can work towards, is myself. (Bear with me here).

In my interview I was asked about my life goals and what I wanted to be. My answer, to be the best version of myself that I can be and that continues through me now. Genuinely, all I want most, is to be the best version of myself. I think that’s what kind of sold me in the interview.

Happy. Healthy. Loved. Supported. Secure. These are all feelings, but they are also goals too and in my opinion they can honestly be some of the best motivators in life.

Yes, everyone is motivated (to some extent) by money. We need money to pay bills and rent, so we can eat and enjoy ourselves without constant stress - but, when I sit there and think about what I truly want. It’s not the actual material things that matter to me. Yes, I want a house – but it doesn’t have to be a mansion, it could literally be a tiny shed, as long as I’m with my favourite person (cheesy I know) then I could be happy living anywhere. Yes, I want to travel, but again, I only want to experience those places with my partner, otherwise I don’t think I’d find as much joy in them. I think it can be difficult in life to find happiness sometimes, yet also so easy to find happiness in the tiniest of things (like YouTube videos of baby goats).

I know that the material things that may satisfy my spontaneous cravings (I like to spend when I’m sad) don’t actually add up to anything, other than just stuff, but the experience of living life with my partner, being all those things listed above, is the most amazing, satisfying feeling in the world.

When I first started thinking about my ‘North Star’ – I felt quite sad that I didn’t have a specific goal to work towards or a ‘dream’ that I wanted to fulfil. However, thinking about it now, I actually feel quite happy and lucky, that my dream is to continue growing my life, not by buying material things, but by growing myself, expanding my knowledge, and building a life with my partner, no matter how difficult life can be sometimes or what rocks get thrown in the way.

Because I know that my ‘North Star’ will always be there, right where it is. Not getting closer, not getting further away, but just sitting there happily, shining in its own right.

What's your North Star?

Beth Oliver