Aim High and Work Toward the Top

The Power of Intentionality for Young People

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, a clinical psychologist, popular professor, and author has become well-known for challenging young people to live with purpose. His message is especially aimed at young men who may have become lost or unmotivated, trying to “find themselves” after high school, or even worse, after graduating from college. In his lectures, interviews, and books like 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order, Peterson urges people to stop drifting through life and start aiming at something meaningful. His advice is simple but powerful: "Set your sights on the highest possible good you can conceive, and then act accordingly, with discipline and courage in an attempt to achieve it!"

Why Aiming Upward Matters

In a world filled with distractions, it's easy to lose focus and fall into routines that lack meaning. Peterson says that without a few goals, you're just wandering through life. He compares life without direction to being lost in a forest without a map. If you don’t have a destination to get to, how can you take the right steps to get there?

Peterson argues that humans are goal-oriented creatures. We feel happiest and most fulfilled when we are working hard toward something greater than ourselves. This could be anything—building a healthy family, learning a skill, serving others, or becoming an excellent student. But the key is to aim high, not low. "You need to aim at something. Otherwise, you're wandering. So, aim upward," Peterson says. "Pick the best possible target you can conceptualize, and then sacrifice everything unnecessary to get there."

The Importance of Discipline and Sacrifice

In 12 Rules for Life, one of Peterson's most quoted lessons is: "Discipline is freedom." That might sound backwards at first. Isn’t freedom doing whatever you want? Not really. Peterson explains that true freedom comes from having control over your own actions. When you are disciplined, you make choices that lead to long-term success, not just short-term pleasure.

He gives the example of a student who wants to get good grades. If that student watches YouTube or scrolls Instagram all day instead of paying attention in class or studying, they may feel free in the moment, but they’re actually making themselves slave to procrastination and distraction. On the other hand, if they chose to study, they sacrifice the feeling of comfort now they just might experience the feeling of success later. That’s the kind of upward aim coupled with uphill effort Peterson talks about. Progress is hard—but it’s worth it.

Life Is Hard—But There’s Meaning in the Struggle

One of Peterson’s most sobering messages is that life includes suffering. Everyone faces challenges, setbacks, and loss. But Peterson says that having a meaningful goal can help you carry the burden of life with strength. In Beyond Order, he writes that chaos is always part of life. But when you have a clear purpose, you can move forward with confidence, even in hard times.

"If you’re not willing to look foolish, you can’t become a master," he says in a popular lecture. That means you must be willing to fail and make a few mistakes in order to grow. The road to greatness, or attaining your goal, is uphill—it always takes time, effort, and lots of mistakes along the way. But if you have a worthy goal, the journey itself will shape you into someone stronger and wiser.

Building Your Personal Mission

Donald Miller, author of Hero on a Mission, shares a similar idea. He says that life is like a story, and each of us is the main character, or hero, in our own story. But every hero needs a mission to accomplish and a duty to fulfill. If you don’t know what your mission is, your daily life will feel boring and pointless.

To counter this pointlessness, Miller encourages people to live with intentionality by seeing themselves as the hero of their own story. He challenges individuals to craft a meaningful life by clarifying their personal mission, setting 1, 3, and 5 year goals, and taking daily action toward a purpose greater than themselves. Miller recommends writing a life plan and establishing a daily schedule. He even teaches the idea of writing one’s own eulogy, the specific words to be spoke at one’s own funeral, and consistently reviewing that aspirational description to stay focused on what is important to accomplish. He believes a compelling life story requires struggle, courage, and responsibility. By embracing discipline and forward momentum, Miller contends people can move from merely being a passive spectator of a boring story to active participants as heroes a thrilling drama!

Peterson agrees. He tells young people to write down their goals and build a structure around their daily lives to support those goals. Time-blocking, journaling, and creating a routine schedule are all helpful tools. These small habits lead to big changes.

Peterson also tells young people to clean up their lives—literally and emotionally. His famous advice, "Clean your room," means start by taking responsibility for the things you can control. When you bring order to your environment, you start to feel stronger and more focused. Then, you can begin helping others and taking on bigger challenges.

The Role of Courage

It’s not easy to pursue a big dream. You may feel afraid, unworthy, or uncertain. Peterson and Miller both encourage young people to have courage. Courage is not the absence of fear—it’s doing the bold thing, for the right reasons, even when you’re scared. Every great achievement starts with a first step. If you wait until you feel ready, you may never begin.

To start, don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday. Did you make progress? Are you stronger, wiser, or more disciplined today than you were last week? That’s what matters.

Upward Aim, Uphill Effort

The core message is that aiming high gives your life meaning. But aiming high also means hard work. You will face obstacles, failures, and doubt. That’s why you must take uphill action. You have to climb, one step at a time. The mountain is steep—but the view at the top is worth it.

Students should understand that greatness doesn’t come overnight. It’s built through years of consistent effort. Set your aim as high as possible, make a plan, take action, find a guide, and keep climbing.

Reflection Questions

1. What is the “highest good” I can currently imagine for my life, and how would aiming at that change the way I spend my time each day?
   

2. In what areas of my life am I choosing short-term comfort over long-term growth, and what would it look like to practice discipline instead?
   

3. How do I respond when I make mistakes or fail? Do I see failure as something to avoid—or as something necessary for growth?
   

4. What parts of my environment or routine need “cleaning up” in order to help me focus and take greater ownership of my personal mission?
   

5. Am I comparing myself too much to others? What would happen if I started measuring progress by who I was yesterday instead of who someone else is today?

Works Cited

Peterson, Jordan B. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. Random House Canada, 2018.

Peterson, Jordan B. Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. Random House Canada, 2021.

Miller, Donald. Hero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life. HarperCollins Leadership, 2022.

Peterson, Jordan B. “Aim High.” YouTube, various lectures and interviews.

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Dr. Mark Kolkman is a teacher, coach, and club sponsor at a large public high school in suburban Chicago. He teaches social-emotional skills and personal agency to students in grades 9–12, helping them actualize a vision for their unique preferred future. Mark is passionate about learning, leadership, and character development. He and his wife, Kim, are proud parents of two sons and tolerate a couple of so-so dogs. When he's not teaching and coaching, Mark is active at his local church and he loves to eat well and sweat a little while working out everyday.