Where success is concerned, I have a big problem with goals.
The whole purpose of goal setting is to have a target, work backwards from it, then break down what you need to do in manageable chunks.
Sounds fine on paper...and it seems to work for some people (especially for the authors who write books about goal setting!).
But...
I don't know about you...but, when I think about where I am today, compared to where I THOUGHT I wanted to be today, five years ago...then I'm an ocean apart!!
- I have achieved things I wouldn't have imagined being able to
- I have NOT done things that I really thought I wanted to do...and now know that I would hate.
- Had situations thrown at me that overnight changed my whole perspective about who I am and what I wanted to do
- Met people and read books that, through single ideas, made immediate decisions about directions I wanted to take
- Realized that my 'ideal' five years ago meant that I would spend more time doing stuff that I didn't like, unlike today, where most of my day is spent doing stuff that is interesting and challenging.
I could go on.
Now...before you get angry with me about slating goals...I want to tell you that I DO believe in having them.
But...not in the sense that most people do.
You see...I set my goals purposely to be fluid, dynamic, moving targets...which I haven't got a hope in hell of back-working to nail down what I should be doing today instead of sharing this with you!
My goals are BIG, certainly...but they are missing an ingredient that most people tell you that you should include...
A specific income figure.
Why?
Well...I MAY end up earning a million dollars a year/month/day/minute...but if it means that I am doing stuff I don't really enjoy, or that I am missing out on being able to do things with my family etc...then it ain't for me.
I once even wrote an article when I started out online that is published in a book that talks about how I would become a millionaire in three years.
How naive I was back then!
Not for believing that I could make a million in that timeframe...but in believing that I should have a goal that had total disregard for how I felt, what I did, who I spent time with, or whether I worked myself into the ground to earn it!!
Since then, I've realized that a BIG goal is all you need to aim.
I now aim for between one and three a year.
Last year was to sort out my finances.
This year was my health and the automation of my business.
Next year will be laying the foundation for the long-term future, and seeing how I can achieve even more (and better) work with less 'effort' (effort being having to do stuff I don't enjoy)
The year after that?
Well...that can wait until the other stuff is out of the way!
By using goals in this way...I don't force myself into doing specific tasks at specific times.
I always have an easy checklist whenever I do anything...
"Is what I am doing going to help me achieve my target?"
If it isn't, then I either find some way of getting done differently, or just move on and focus on something else that DOES move me towards my target.
It's simple because it has to be.
You may be a methodical, task-oriented person who enjoys ticking off the next task...but I'm too laid back for that.
Above all where goals are concerned is that you know what sort of person you are.
For example, I'm pretty self-motivated, and have some discipline for getting things done when I need to.
You may be someone who needs structure, daily routines, and set hours, to get things done....in which case, my type of goal setting may not work for you.
Always be careful when you discover a method of doing something that 'works' for the author (and even for many of their readers).
Remember, is it YOU that it has to work for...and if you find that you are struggling to follow something because you feel that you should, give some thought to the fact that the system may not suit you...and not the other way around!
Posted by vurnumg
