Jan 13 2009
Do you get goal setting?
Well, we’re now over 2 weeks into 2009 and I’m wondering whether the “goal setting frenzy” has died down.
After all, isn’t it a bit overhyped? Why do we all need to set goals anyway and why on January 1st, which is after all only an accident of time?
For years I struggled with goal setting. It felt very artificial, false. I could easily set the goal – and just as easily abandon it within days so what was the point? Wanting it badly, visualising, didn’t seem to make it any more likely that the goal would be achieved.
I always pride myself on doing my best – I’m not naturally highly competitive and doing my best always seemed to be good enough so why did I need to set other goals?
It was a little while before I really “got it”.
Just by looking around me I saw there were many really good, very nice people who were giving of their best, doing a good job, just taking life as it comes, sort of plodding along… So far as I could see they weren’t obviously setting goals though I’m more confident that they were probably doing their best on many different fronts, personally and professionally.
In honesty, that’s what I was doing on many different fronts – and that was just one of the keys. I was doing lots of things, personal and professional. If you want a picture to illustrate my predicament – I was reading books, for fun, for relaxation, for self development, for professional improvement… It wasn’t unusual for me to have six books being read at any time and none of them actually finished within six months…
People who were really making progress – the Nicola Cairncrosses and Judith Morgans of the world – were out there setting goals, chasing and challenging targets… In honesty I don’t know that they always achieved their goals (or finished their books!) but I could see what they were chasing, where they were headed.
And the penny dropped – The goal itself isn’t magical but it give a focus to activity.
I read something recently that went something like this:
Vision without Action is a daydream
Action without Vision is simply passing the time
Action with Vision is making a positive difference. (Joel Barker)
And maybe that’s what the process of goal setting does.
Going through the process of goal setting makes sure I make the time to create a concrete and measurable vision rather than a daydream. The act of pursuing a goal couples the vision with focussed action.
It isn’t a magic wand but it certainly makes a positive difference to my world.
And no, there’s nothing magical about New Year, just about anytime that you’re prepared to combine both vision and action is a pretty good time to set a new goal.
Are you ready?
