The end of the year is almost here. This is universally considered a prime opportunity to look forward to the next year and make some sort of plans and goals. Do you set goals? Why would you bother? Well, I have some thoughts on the subject.
If you can cast your mind back to a time in the past when you visited malls and tourist venues, you might remember that there are often digital information maps that placed at the various entrances. Their purpose is two-fold. First, they help you to orient yourself in your current environment, with one of those convenient “YOU ARE HERE” symbols. Second, these devices can help you to map your journey to the store or destination of your choice, with a charted path, animated footprints, etc.
Fictitious character Forrest Gump didn’t say it, but in Forrest Gump-esque style you might think “Life is like a trip to the shopping mall; you find the store using the map…”
In my opinion, there are three key elements that shape the point of the “mall is life” analogy. The absence of any of these elements will certainly alter the rate of our progress, the duration of the journey, and the ability to adjust or make corrections to that journey.
Part 1 – “You Are Here”
In basic terms, by definition PROGRESS is determined by some amount of measurable movement from Point A to Point B. You can’t make any progress forward if you have no idea where you are starting. You can’t tell that you’ve moved if you didn’t note the starting point.
The way to determine your current location is to essentially conduct an individualized self-assessment process, or carry out a sort of self-directed, mental systems check. A few months back I wrote about the value of reflection and introspection (see Reflection and Introspection). About a month or so later, I wrote about planning for the future while taking a look in the rearview mirror from time to time (See Hindsight and Its Value in Planning for the Future). The point of both of these articles, and the reason that I bring them up again, is that I feel that there is value in gaining some spatial awareness. If you want to set goals, you are going to have to start somewhere; that somewhere is here and now, i.e., the current YOU.
A Destination
By my understanding, the purpose of goals is to help us to move to somewhere other than where we currently are. Depending on your perspective and desires, this might mean personal improvement, growth in character, increased business success, tangible achievements, adjustments in habits, efficiency, or some other type of change. In short, a goal is the means necessary to set you on a path leading to a destination that you will move towards. In our shopping mall example, if you want a funny t-shirt, you have to know where the novelty store is located. When you are hiking in the mountains, you might have a specific peak that you are trying to reach. If you lose sight of your destination, you can become lost, and might wander aimlessly. Having a clear view or image of your final destination (or at least the next waypoint or milestone) can help to re-establish your orientation and will form the basis of ongoing course correction and decision making.
Destinations are the outcomes of the goal-setting progression. They are what we want to achieve or become. I should note that it is possible to set multiple “destinations”, since we can certainly work to improve and change in different areas simultaneously.
Some witty scoundrels might suggest that a destination isn’t important, as you can’t be lost if you don’t know (or care) where you are going. While this is true, to some degree, I would argue that there is likely to be a great deal of spinning and circling place, and probably some repetition.
Plans and Choices (a.k.a. Goals)
Once you have established the starting point and the desired end point(s), you now have the opportunity to break it down into manageable stages. If you try and mash together the destination with a single goal (e.g., achieving the destination), there is a high risk of failure. I have always found that it is better to break down goals to workable, practical, and achievable steps. This allows you to make measurable progress, build a foundation of repeatable practices, and gain some motivation from the wins. I also think that end destinations are often a bit fuzzy and lacking in complete clarity, so it is best to keep that in mind and refine them a bit as you go. Thinking that you can get there in one step is overly optimistic (maybe unrealistic). If you take it a step or two at a time, as the end destination becomes clearer, you can adjust your path and establish the next logical goals to get closer.
If your desired destination or outcome is to be wiser, you might now set goals that will lead you towards that outcome. You might set goals that help to establish a pattern of learning and study in specific areas. You might set goals that include taking time for reflection and meditation on what you learn. You might set goals that encourage you to use any things you learn. All of these stages will lead you to wisdom, or the application of knowledge.
A Challenge for You
As you approach the end of this challenging year, take the time to reflect and to set goals for growth in each area of your life. I am a fan of looking at each aspect or area of your life in detail, and then setting goals that help you make progress in that area. It is all fine and good to only set goals in high priority areas like work and business, or maybe personal development, but if something/anything is a part of your life, why not set goals to grow within it?
Set goals that allow you to build layer after layer of growth. I think that achievable goals produce the best, and most durable, results, since they are solid and are not hollow.