We are taught from a young age that in order to achieve great success we must set and achieve our goals. However in doing so, we become focused on where we are going rather than enjoying where we are right now. We sacrifice today in the hope that a better future will emerge, only to discover that achievement rarely leads to true joy. Goal-Free Living presents an alternative philosophy – that we can have an extraordinary life now, all without goals and detailed plans. By living for each moment, it’s possible to have a successful life and follow your passions at the same time.

In Stephen Shapiro’s book “ Goal-Free Living” he presents his eight secrets to living life free from the constant pressure of goals:

• - Use a compass, not a map
• - Trust that you are never lost
• - Remember that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly
• - Want what you have
• - Seek out adventure
• - Become a people magnet
• - Embrace your limits
• - Remain detached

Goal-Free Living offers practical guidance on putting these secrets to work in your own life every day. Take them to heart and you’ll be free of the tyranny of goals-and experience a life truly worth living.

A couple of random quotes from the book:

"I started thinking about growth rather than downsizing. Innovation and creativity rather than efficiency." 

"The things to do are: the things that need doing: that you see need to be done, and no one else seems to see the need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done – that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often get buried inside a character that acquired a superficial array of behaviors induced or imposed by other on the individual."

"One of the side effects of living goal-free is that we don’t end up with a neat and tidy set of accomplishments that defines us. We end up with lots of strings that cross, weave, twist, and turn. They all lead to the current moment, right now. They lead out into the future too, but we can only guess at where they will cross again. Any threads can take me almost anywhere I need to go, but to sort it out logically in terms of goals and accomplishments can really squeeze the life out of the stories, the threads, this life."

"Networking isn’t about business opportunities or social status. Rather it is about making new connections, gaining new experiences, and sharing passions."

"Difference knowledge rather than more knowledge."
 

I personally think this is a really amazing book – Stephen Shapiro’s Goal-Free Living.