Originally posted 12/08/2009
There are differing perspectives on the value of goal setting particularly the value of setting goals in every area of life. I agree for many reasons. If you are new to goal setting it can be overwhelming to sit down and look at every area of your life, and even more overwhelming to establish goals and action plans in several areas. It is also true in cases where you are satisfied with your life in most areas so you don't see the need for goals. If goal setting doesn't resonate with you for whatever reason - here is a perspective that might. Even if you are in the habit of setting goals, this perspective might change your life.
During Alan Webber's Authors at Google talk about his book "Rules of Thumb - 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Yourself" he said something very profound about his approach to goal setting which is less about goals and more about who he wants to be. He said that he believes that failure isn't failing - the only real failure is the failure to try. He asks himself "how will I feel about not having done ..." when he is thinking about opportunity. He also says that he knows what he doesn't want to say about himself in 10 years.
Think about that. Is there something "big" that you would like to pursue? Do you have a "calling” that beckons you? Do you want to write a book? Pursue the acting career you gave up when you took the safe route in university? Have you been "sort of" trying to build a career, but really you have been avoiding giving it your all? Do you have an opportunity for a new career? Do you have the opportunity for a new business? Do you want to change jobs entirely? Is there something big that would change your life forever like losing 50 pounds? Do you want to run a marathon just so you can say you have? Do you want to move to a different part of the country? Do you want to make your family a priority in a way that you have never done before?
Whatever that ‘big’ thing is, think about it in the context of what Alan said. Ask yourself the question "how will I feel about not having done ..."? Can you live with saying "I didn't pursue <insert your dream here> because ...". If the answer is a sinking feel in your stomach, then you know that you really DO want to go after that dream and you need to take action because you know who you don’t want to be in 10 years.
I like Alan's approach. “What do you NOT want to say about yourself? The only failure is the failure to go after what you really want”. That strips away all of the things that get in the way of real change.
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