Up: It Is Never Too Late To Meet Our Goals

Life goals and objectives provide us with a sense of direction. By having vital goals set, people often focus their resources to achieve them, with more or less success. This allows them to have a clear sense of what matters. Thus, goals make us meet obstacles, but at the same time generate in us the motivation to overcome them.

Life goals vary between each of the individuals in a society. However, goals make it possible for people to focus their efforts. In this way, the actions of each individual are usually consistent with their objectives. Goals allow us to set a path and evaluate our progress. Meeting the objectives gives a sense of satisfaction and personal fulfillment. This increases our happiness and self-esteem.

Up : a high altitude adventure

Up is a 2009 animated film. Directed by Peter Docter, winner of two Academy Awards or Oscars and produced by Disney and Pixar. In the first part of Up , the character of Carl Fredricksen is introduced. Carl is a shy little boy with an idol: the explorer Charles Muntz. The adventures of Muntz are shown in movie theaters. One day, Muntz is accused of fabricating or fabricating his archaeological discoveries. Little Carl is devastated after hearing this news.

However, Carl meets a girl named Ellie. This girl confesses that she is also a fan of Charles Muntz, and that she is the founder of his fan club. Ellie reveals her plan to him: bring the clubhouse to Paradise Falls. Carl knows that Cataratas del Paraíso is where Muntz explores the Latin American Amazon.

Ellie and Carl promise to help each other fulfill this journey. They remain friends throughout their lives. They get married and move into the old house where Ellie had her fan club.

Carl and Ellie save during their lives for the trip to Paradise Falls. However, different eventualities force them to spend their savings. The promise of the trip becomes more and more distant. When they are old, Ellie passes away due to an illness and they never managed to make their dream trip to Paradise Falls.

Mr. Fredricksen: A Goal Focused Life

Carl Fredricksen, now old, widowed and grumpy, is deeply saddened by the death of his wife. Forced to vacate his home, where he has lived all his life, he decides to act.

Carl Fredricksen manages to inflate thousands of helium balloons just on the day he must be evicted. His house soars through the air, flying toward freedom. Carl is finally on his way to Paradise Falls. With the help of little Russell, a boy scout, Carl will make it to Paradise Falls. Also, there Carl will meet his childhood hero: Charles Muntz.

Carl Fredricksen’s life is an example of long-term goals. Both Carl and Ellie lived a full life, full of happiness. They both worked to achieve this dream trip. Although they couldn’t do it together, saving toward a goal is an achievement. Already in his old age, Carl keeps his promise to Ellie and travels to the Amazon. Carl Fredricksen reaches his goal, and also gets a new family.

Goals in old age

A person has different goals and objectives throughout his life. These goals are necessarily modified by changing the abilities, capacities and interests of the person. In old age there are constant losses. An elderly person must constantly adapt and modify his goals accordingly since only in this way is it possible to have a successful aging.

During old age, awareness of time as a limited resource increases. This knowledge will modify a person’s actions. Knowing that there is a finite amount of time will allow you to reformulate goals to adapt them to this new sense.

Something that makes, in many cases, the goals in old age different from the goals in youth. In general, the goals of young people are focused on their education and their friendships. On the contrary, goals during old age are more associated with leisure and recreation activities, as well as your health.

Thus, setting personal goals in old age is of utmost importance. Let’s think that occupation is one of the elements that most influences the meaning we give to our existence. Goals provide the necessary motivation to face this stage of life.

Several studies have identified that it is healthy for older adults to return to goals that they had during their youth. Goals in old age may be associated with recreation or our interests in young adulthood. In this way, it may be easier to find the motivation to use energy and resources on these new goals.

The importance of optimistic people

In addition, optimism is still a plus in old age. The people who are able to conserve and take care of this point function as an anchor, supporting in difficult moments. For the elderly, these people can represent additional motivation and the perfect travel companions to achieve goals, as in Up.

Perhaps age distances us from certain objectives due to conditions. However, there is always the possibility of adapting them to our conditions or our possibilities.

With 60 years we can hardly be Olympic gymnastics champions, but what we can do is enjoy the possibilities and movement of our body and even compete with people our age who share our interests. In any of the cases we can always assume a goal, and in old age as well. That goal is none other than to overcome ourselves and overcome our fears and for that, as in Up , there is no age.