It's a common tendency to be so fixed on a goal that we lose sight of the present. If we can't experience the present, then we live in illusion because the present is all there is. Although it can be very satisfying and joyous to attain the perceived end result of goals, they are still only points in time. it doesn't make much sense thinking too much about the future, because then we miss out on all those beautiful moments that accompany our lives. We can get used to being dissatisfied with the present if we have the false belief that we are incomplete because the goal hasn't been accomplished yet. This can become a severe imbalance. Life is the path. Experience is now. Rejoice in the moment when it is at all possible. That requires letting go of the objective completely after a period of envisioning it, (perhaps requiring a spirit of vigour and energy-input) and allowing the subconscious in a universal context to take care of how to get there. We must try to avoid getting obsessed with goals.
Setting goals is like placing milestones along the road of life. Accomplished goals are good references that show us certain temporary successes are possible, or that we may have gone wrong and need to redefine what is best for us. Through working towards them we can often clearly see patterns of cause and effect. We might then be inspired to push further and more courageously, to speed up our personal growth and realise even more inner strength, as we deal with even bigger obstacles. We live in a changing, physical world in an expanding universe. Nothing is static in that sense, so we need to take decisions every day to respond to moving situations. Visions and visualising are fundamental to achieving those goals.
It is impossible to predict exactly how we will reach our goals, because there are endless possibilities in any one moment that spin out in sometimes surprising ways. That makes for an enriching life in itself. Learning is about digesting new information and aspects of wisdom. It is about entering into the unknown to grow.
In any one moment we are complete. Can we let ourselves live 100% despite whatever experience we are having now? Do we want to? How much of the lack we are experiencing have to do with low self-esteem? Can we let go of this judgement or replace it with a positive image? These questions may just reveal a lot about the inner workings of our minds.