Should there be a goal in life?

They say one should have long term goals in one's life.

Why I came into this world? I donno! When I die, where will I go? Why do I die? I donno! All I know is that I am alive. Well again... for what? I donno! Wonderful questions and excellent answers!!!

Right from the day I joined IBM... my focus was limited to getting into a project and prove my worth and stabilize my place in IBM. All I wanted is that at the end of first year... it should not so happen that IBM calls me to say 'pal... you are not worth'. There was some struggle (really??) in the beginning. After few months I understood that here nobody is going to throw me out. And in the current situation they are trying to lure in all ways to retain me.

This is what happens when you don't have 'real' long term goals. Or if your short term goal is not linked to the long term goal. I am not sure about my destination. All I am looking at is the current waves and tides around me. These tides are around everywhere in the sea. If I am sure about my destination I have to travel in that direction. And there are tides and waves in that direction. Cross those tides one by one and reach the destination. Pretty cool... isn't it?

When you are not sure about the destination and concentrating on the tides around you... you reach nowhere. And your goals will be insignificant. Not only for you but for the people who are looking at you.

What about cyclones in the see. hmm... these are very big problems. You may face cyclones if you have a goal or if you don't. What if you are going towards a goal and you saw that a cyclone is waiting for you? Will you continue? You have to!! Or thats what all the personality development books says. Face the challenge and all that crap!! There should be some mechanism to know the non cyclone zone.

Let us assume that we are going to have same number of cyclones in a life. Which one would you choose? The one with a goal and a direction? or the one with no goal and no direction?

Why am I afraid to set goals? hmm... there a 'what if' in my mind. What if I realize at later point that my goal is wrong? What if after reaching a shore I realize that I reached a wrong shore? Thats true. Its better to keep quite than reaching a wrong destination. But said this... what is a right destination and what is a wrong destination?

Ain't I confused?