Importance of end goal in a conquest

This is a short excerpt from a book I am reading. This is a pretty powerful concept - slow down and try to think about the end goal of your conquest.

So here is how it goes:

Alexander the great was camping in the Indian subcontinent. There was a sage who was meditating near Alexander's camp. For several days, Alexander saw this age seated in a lotus position while looking toward the horizon. To Alexander, this sage seemed like a lazy man, a recluse who had dropped out of everyday life. One day, the great warrior unable to contain his curiosity, approached the sage and asked, "Don't you have anything to do besides sitting and dreaming?"

The sage sat there unmoved.
"I see you every morning, evening and afternoon in the same place. You have not moved an inch. You must be a terrible fellow!"

The sage did not speak a word.
"Tell me, what is you goal in life?" demanded Alexander exasperated.

The sage smiled a little and said, "Great warrior, you must first tell me about your goal in life before i tell you mine."

Outraged, Alexander thundered, "Don't you know I am Alexander? I am out to conquer the world."
"What do you want to do after you have conquered the world."

"What do you want to do after you have conquered the world?" the sage asked.

"I will then possess all the gold and all the elephants and horses in the world," said Alexander, his lips curling in disdain.
"and then?" the sage asked.
"Then I will have all men as my slaves."
"and then?"
"Then I will have all the women to serve me"
"and then?"
"Then I will sit on my throne, relax and enjoy myself"
The sage smiled. "Sir, that is precisely what I am doing right now," he said. "Why are you bothering me? Please leave me alone and go ahead with your conquests."