There is a lot of information out there about how to set good goals. And for unknown reasons a lot of that information sets my teeth completely on edge. Yes, I know they should be 'Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Realistic - Timely' (aka SMART), but who wants to be smart when setting goals? Where is the fun in that?
I think goal setting, at least the big, end goals, should be exciting and reflect the life and death nature of it all. So, I think they should be more like an Indiana Jones movie than a business plan.
How does my little analogy work? Follow me!
(It helps a lot if you have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you haven't, just search on YouTube 'Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark Famous Scene'.)
To begin with you need to be able to see the glinting, glistening, golden idol in front of you. This is your goal, sitting on its stone pedestal. Can you see it? Asking you to reach for it, grab hold of it, claim it as your own? Good.
Next, Indie pulls out the bag of sand that he has been carrying, because you can't just walk off with the idol, you always have to trade it for something. In goal setting, the bag of sand is the everyday resources you will have to give up for your goal, such as time or money. Do you have enough sand to trade for your goal?
You hold your breath as you test out your theory - is there really enough sand there to take the weight of the idol? When you schedule in all the time you will need to spend on your goal, is there enough there? You celebrate when you pull it free - you have just agreed to a goal you believe you can reach.
But wait! That's not the end. You still need to escape from the cave together with your goal to achieve it. You're not safe and sound until you get it back home. And once you have decided on a goal, that's when life makes it hard to achieve it.
So, you start well but you soon run into trouble. For Indiana it was a pit full of stakes that he needed to swing across. For you, it could be a gap in your finances that you need some help getting through to the next month, or a sudden time suck that leaves you with not enough hours in the day.
Some helpful person says you should throw them the idol and they will give you the mundane life item to get you across this barrier.
Do you throw them the idol? Well, if you do, you still have to get out of the cave alive, and you no longer achieve anything at the end!
Maybe you are brave and you keep hold of it, working out some way through yourself. But then life might throw a giant, rolling boulder at you. Just remember, as long as you are running towards the entrance, it is all good.
Of course, when you final come out of the cave victorious with your idol, you usually find a large crowd of people waiting with bows and arrows to take you down. Just when it looks like you have made it, people will try to stop you with criticism or backstabbing. So follow Indiana's advice, and always have an exit plan so you can fly off into the sunset and enjoy your achievement.
That is the way I think goals should be handled. So much more exciting and adventurous than being SMART.
The final thing this model teaches us is that if your goal is not worth the sand you are trading it for, or you are not prepared to jump across pits of stakes for it, then it's not a very good goal. Stick with your sand and your day job.
I think goal setting, at least the big, end goals, should be exciting and reflect the life and death nature of it all. So, I think they should be more like an Indiana Jones movie than a business plan.
How does my little analogy work? Follow me!
(It helps a lot if you have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you haven't, just search on YouTube 'Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark Famous Scene'.)
To begin with you need to be able to see the glinting, glistening, golden idol in front of you. This is your goal, sitting on its stone pedestal. Can you see it? Asking you to reach for it, grab hold of it, claim it as your own? Good.
Next, Indie pulls out the bag of sand that he has been carrying, because you can't just walk off with the idol, you always have to trade it for something. In goal setting, the bag of sand is the everyday resources you will have to give up for your goal, such as time or money. Do you have enough sand to trade for your goal?
You hold your breath as you test out your theory - is there really enough sand there to take the weight of the idol? When you schedule in all the time you will need to spend on your goal, is there enough there? You celebrate when you pull it free - you have just agreed to a goal you believe you can reach.
But wait! That's not the end. You still need to escape from the cave together with your goal to achieve it. You're not safe and sound until you get it back home. And once you have decided on a goal, that's when life makes it hard to achieve it.
So, you start well but you soon run into trouble. For Indiana it was a pit full of stakes that he needed to swing across. For you, it could be a gap in your finances that you need some help getting through to the next month, or a sudden time suck that leaves you with not enough hours in the day.
Some helpful person says you should throw them the idol and they will give you the mundane life item to get you across this barrier.
Do you throw them the idol? Well, if you do, you still have to get out of the cave alive, and you no longer achieve anything at the end!
Maybe you are brave and you keep hold of it, working out some way through yourself. But then life might throw a giant, rolling boulder at you. Just remember, as long as you are running towards the entrance, it is all good.
Of course, when you final come out of the cave victorious with your idol, you usually find a large crowd of people waiting with bows and arrows to take you down. Just when it looks like you have made it, people will try to stop you with criticism or backstabbing. So follow Indiana's advice, and always have an exit plan so you can fly off into the sunset and enjoy your achievement.
That is the way I think goals should be handled. So much more exciting and adventurous than being SMART.
The final thing this model teaches us is that if your goal is not worth the sand you are trading it for, or you are not prepared to jump across pits of stakes for it, then it's not a very good goal. Stick with your sand and your day job.
About the Author:
This and other great tips for managing your life can be found in Buffy Greentree's new book The Five Day Writer's Retreat on Amazon. Or visit www.thefivedaywriter.com for more books, workshops and services for becoming a published writer.
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