What are you aiming for with meditation?
Goals help you come up with a plan, but the day-to-day focus needs to be on the process.
A meditation goal is not an oxymoron.
Setting meditation goals can help you create a sustainable plan. They should be personal enough to motivate you to practice, but your attention needs to remain on the process.
It's similar to creating a physical fitness routine.
First, you need to determine what you want to achieve. Then, you should develop exercises and activities to help you reach those goals. Once you've established your physical workout program, all your energy should be directed towards following through with it.
To develop muscular strength, focus on challenging specific muscle groups as you lift weights.
When stretching for flexibility, work on holding each stretch until the timer runs down.
When swimming for endurance, get absorbed by the rhythm of the body's movements as you complete each stroke.
When it comes to meditation, it can be helpful to identify the skills you want to develop and the techniques you will use to work on them over time.
If you want to improve your ability to focus, choose exercises that require you to gently steer your attention back to a specific sensation for a set amount of time.
To get better at relaxing, look for exercises designed to help you identify and savor restful sensations.
To develop emotional regulation skills, devote time throughout the week to observe the unpleasant feelings that arise in response to known triggers before deciding how to respond to them.
With both physical and attentional fitness, the only way to progress toward your goals is to do the exercises you’ve chosen. Habitually.
Perhaps the most beneficial goal is to develop a deep appreciation for the process — to inhabit it so completely that the need to reach your goals quietly withers away.