“What’s your end goal in life?” is the question that goes beyond goal-setting. Because if you’ve ever achieved any goal, you know that it doesn’t necessarily lead you to happiness or fulfillment. You may find, instead, that it kickstarts the vicious circle of chasing one goal after another.
It happens because we often set goals that take us further away from our authentic selves. But the end goal definition implies that it’s what your soul truly desires.
When you tap into your soul’s blueprint, you can create the life of your dreams. And this is what the 3 Most Important Questions (or 3 MIQs, for short) method can do for you.
What is an end goal?
An end goal is a deep, personal aim that reflects what your inner self really wants, focusing on your true happiness and satisfaction. Instead of being about physical items or numbers in your bank account, the “end goal” meaning centers on reaching a state of contentment that feels right for you.
As Vishen, the founder of Mindvalley and trainer of the 3 Most Important Questions Quest, explains it, it’s “about following your heart.” And they spark excitement within you, guiding you to a direct path to joy.
End goals vs. means goals
Have you ever heard something described as “a means to an end”? This idiom describes a goal that helps you achieve something more significant.
So means goals are the goals you set to achieve __________ (fill in the blank). In other words, they are sub-goals. The problem is, people only set these kinds of goals, which don’t often lead to happiness and fulfillment. Or they confuse them with end goals.
Let’s look at the main differences between the two:
- Means goals: They have a “so that I…” statement. For example, “I want to get a good job so that I…” These goals follow societal concepts of success or serve someone’s expectations. This is why they are temporary, adaptable, and flexible.
- End goals: End goals are life goals. They are about feelings and following your heart. They give you direction and purpose based on your unique values and virtues.
Vishen explains that feelings often indicate what we truly want in life, and you want to strive to attain goals that bring you feelings rather than chasing things and material success.
By setting your end goals, you are allowing your soul to guide you to where you’re meant to be.
End goals are beautiful. End goals are the end result of being human. End goals are about experiencing love, traveling around the world, being truly happy, contributing to the planet, and learning a new skill. — @Vishen Share on XFor example, if you want to manifest love, instead of focusing on manifesting a particular person, you want to focus on the ideal relationship you want to have with your beloved-to-be.
How to find your end goal: the 3 most important questions method
Since end goals are a path to happiness, it’s crucial to understand the main pillars or sources of happiness. There are three of them: experiences, growth, and contribution. In essence, to attain happiness and fulfillment, you should pursue experiences that deeply ignite you, grow and develop yourself to match those experiences, and contribute to other people’s lives.
The latter is something that most people miss. But contribution is proven to increase your overall happiness and life satisfaction. Studies suggest that our brain is wired for happiness in response to giving. In fact, serving others is a way out of your own misery and suffering.
So how do you find your end goals? The answer is the 3 MIQ method—an outstanding framework that helps you identify your end goals for all three areas by asking yourself:
- What do you want to experience in life?
- How do you want to grow and develop yourself?
- How do you want to contribute to the world?
These three most important questions will help you discover your unique soul’s blueprint and what it takes to live an extraordinary life.
Here’s how to do it:
- Take a piece of paper and divide it into three columns: experiences, growth, and contribution.
- Set a timer for 90 seconds—take no more than this amount of time to answer questions (below) that correlate to the three pillars.
- Don’t stop until the 90 seconds are up.
Column 1: Experiences
Question: What do you want to experience?
It can also include other people and environments.
- Think about the most remarkable experiences you wish to have in this lifetime.
- Consider your love life, relationships, and sexuality.
- Think about what experiences you’d like to have with your friends and family.
- What would you like your social life to look like?
- Assume you have unlimited access to funds. What type of car would you want to drive?
- What type of home would you want to live in? Are there any other things you dream of having in your life?
- What places do you want to travel to?
- What activities, hobbies, or sports would you love to explore?
Column 2: Growth
Question: How do you want to grow?
It includes intellectual, spiritual, physical, and professional growth.
- How would you like to develop yourself? Think about your intellectual life, for instance.
- What skills would you like to obtain?
- How do you want to deal with stressful events in your life?
- What languages would you want to master?
- What character traits do you admire in others, and which would you like to master?
- How do you want to show up in social situations?
- What are your health and fitness goals?
- How long would you like to live?
- How would you like to feel, and what would you like to be able to do in your old age?
- Is there a particular aspect of your spiritual life that you’d like to dive deeper into?
Once you are done with your growth section, set aside 30 minutes daily to focus on growing yourself.
Column 3: Contribution
Question: How do you want to contribute?
It includes how you show up in the world, your career, creativity, and charity.
- How could you contribute to your family, friends, society, city, or even the entire planet?
- What will your legacy be?
- How will you make the world a slightly better place?
- Which problem would you like to solve for the planet and humanity?
End goal examples
The 3 MIQ exercise is designed to help you envision your end goals in life. Though they are unique to you, you can draw inspiration from people who have experienced the magic of this method.
Experience end goals:
- Travel to exotic locations around the world with my family
- Trek the highest peaks around the world
- Run an ultramarathon
- Speak at A-Fest
- Write a bestselling book
- Create something that will bring people great satisfaction
- Experience the most luxurious hotels
- Motorcycle across South America
- Have the most beautiful connections with people from different cultural backgrounds
Growth end goals:
- Speak three foreign languages fluently
- Practice yoga every day
- Cultivate the body of an athlete
- Get a freediving license
- Practice biohacking
- Develop bulletproof confidence and resilience
- Master communication skills
Contribution end goals:
- Educate a community in poverty
- Work as a volunteer in other countries
- Look for meaningful projects to donate your time and money
- Work as a volunteer in developing countries
- Provide free services to low-income people
Becoming everything you aspire to be
We often chase goals that don’t come from our souls because we don’t know any better. But with the three MIQs, you can set goals in alignment with your unique blueprint.
It enables you to get clarity on what you truly want to experience, how to grow to become the best version of yourself, and most importantly, what talents and skills you can use to serve the community.
If you want to dive deep into the process, take the 3 Most Important Questions Quest with Vishen. You can sign up for an account and start designing your experiences by unlocking the entire Quest for free. In other words, you are just three questions away from living your best life.
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