Hunter S Thompson the Oracle
He was an Oracle at 22 - read this letter he wrote to his pal whom asked for his advice.
A 20-year-old Hunter S was a wise mentor dishing out great feedback to his pal in the above letter on the topic of 'goals', and with one month down in 2023, I’m wondering how many of us have stuck to any of our goals already?
I don’t write goals anymore, I haven’t for years. Anyone who knows me knows I’m all about the little things that make me feel good (shots shots shots 😜), not BHAGs 👹 (Whoah Nelly! Don’t scoff, I do see their purpose in the right context but I’m not talking about them now).
It was a wicked discovery that I found kinship in grey matter with someone who’s writing I love; Hunter S Thompson wrote this letter to his pal when he was only 20 (!) and it brilliantly articulates how I see and create ‘goals’.
I’ve shifted to the pronoun “they” for a better read….
To achieve great things “the formula runs something like this: [they] must choose a path which will let [their] ABILITIES function at maximum efficiency toward the gratification of [their] DESIRES...
Only by doing this can they “avoid[s] the terror of seeing [their] goal wilt or lose its charm as [they] draws closer to it.
[They] have not dedicated [their] life to reaching a pre-defined goal, but [they] have rather chosen a way of life [they] KNOW [they] will enjoy.
But beware of looking for goals: look for a way of life. Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living WITHIN that way of life. But you say, “I don’t know where to look; I don’t know what to look for....
And there’s the crux. Is it worth giving up what I have to look for something better? I don’t know— is it? Who can make that decision but you? But even by DECIDING TO LOOK, you go a long way toward making the choice. "
2023 is the start of a new epoch for me and for anyone joining me in that epoch (I love that word), how about we start small together?
I help great companies do fantastic stuff with, and for their people, through their culture. I love continuing to support MOJU in this and I’m excited to meet more who want to do fantastic stuff like them in 2023 🚀
So my tiny little 'goal' is to have conversations each week that make me excited to do this work ⚡ so far so good in week five…
Drop me a line if you want to have a tiny little convo or want my five minute video on tiny little goals for your new epoch 🙏