A lot of information on how to set good goals is readily accessible out there. For some reason, a lot of that information is really irritating. Yes, I know they should be 'Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Realistic - Timely' (aka SMART), but who wishes to be smart when setting goals? That just makes it sound boring, when in fact it should be fun.
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!
(To follow this it is useful to have watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but if you haven't, just go to YouTube and search for '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.
However, you cannot just grab the idol and walk off, it always comes at a cost. Like Indiana, you need a bag of sand the same weight as the idol so you don't set off the alarm system. For you the bag of sand will be the everyday resources you will need to give. This might be money or time spent watching TV. How heavy is your idol? You need to calculate whether you have enough sand to swap for it.
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 is not the end. You still need to get out of the cave with your goal to realize it. It doesn't count until you are safely back home with the idol. It's usually once you have decided on a goal that everything in your life tries to stop you from achieving it.
You start running. Then comes your first pit with stakes or snakes (not snacks as I originally wrote, unless tempting snacks are likely to distract you from your goal... hmmm, snacks).
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.
What do you do? Indiana threw them the idol, only to find they then ran off leaving him. For you, it is more likely that you will get the help you need, but at the cost of having to start all over again back in the cave with your goal. Only now you are a bit older and wearier.
Perhaps you manage to get yourself across the obstacle and keep hold of the idol. Well done. But next comes the giant rolling boulder. Your run as fast as you can, feeling that you are only one step away from disaster. While stressful, just keep in mind that as long as you are running towards the entrance and don't actually get crushed, you'll just achieve your goal faster.
Obviously, when you break free of the cave with your goal, there will always be people who want to cut you down and criticize you. Therefore, think like Indie, have an escape plan set up to enjoy the results of having fully achieved your goal.
That is the way I think goals should be handled. So much more exciting and adventurous than being SMART.
Also, if you create a goal that isn't worth the sand you are swapping for it, or risking your life to cross the pit for, or even facing all the tribesmen wanting to kill you, then you haven't really got a good enough 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!
(To follow this it is useful to have watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but if you haven't, just go to YouTube and search for '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.
However, you cannot just grab the idol and walk off, it always comes at a cost. Like Indiana, you need a bag of sand the same weight as the idol so you don't set off the alarm system. For you the bag of sand will be the everyday resources you will need to give. This might be money or time spent watching TV. How heavy is your idol? You need to calculate whether you have enough sand to swap for it.
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 is not the end. You still need to get out of the cave with your goal to realize it. It doesn't count until you are safely back home with the idol. It's usually once you have decided on a goal that everything in your life tries to stop you from achieving it.
You start running. Then comes your first pit with stakes or snakes (not snacks as I originally wrote, unless tempting snacks are likely to distract you from your goal... hmmm, snacks).
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.
What do you do? Indiana threw them the idol, only to find they then ran off leaving him. For you, it is more likely that you will get the help you need, but at the cost of having to start all over again back in the cave with your goal. Only now you are a bit older and wearier.
Perhaps you manage to get yourself across the obstacle and keep hold of the idol. Well done. But next comes the giant rolling boulder. Your run as fast as you can, feeling that you are only one step away from disaster. While stressful, just keep in mind that as long as you are running towards the entrance and don't actually get crushed, you'll just achieve your goal faster.
Obviously, when you break free of the cave with your goal, there will always be people who want to cut you down and criticize you. Therefore, think like Indie, have an escape plan set up to enjoy the results of having fully achieved your goal.
That is the way I think goals should be handled. So much more exciting and adventurous than being SMART.
Also, if you create a goal that isn't worth the sand you are swapping for it, or risking your life to cross the pit for, or even facing all the tribesmen wanting to kill you, then you haven't really got a good enough goal. Stick with your sand and your day job.
About the Author:
This is an extract from Buffy Greentree's exciting new book for writers, The Five Day Writer's Retreat available at Amazon, or for more advice and services for writers, see her website www.thefivedaywriter.com
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