Big goals are good. But interesting goals are better.
When you set clear goals’ you can work out if you’re getting closer or further away from them. Then work out what it is that you’re doing’ or not doing’ that’s impacting progress. The clearer your goals’ the more likely you are to achieve them. But what kind of goals are best? Well’ bigger goals are better than smaller goals. Because as people we are capable of much more than we think. But there’s another force at play with goal setting. And it’s this. ‘Interesting’ beats ‘big’.
Interesting Goals
Let’s talk business goals. Turnover. Profit. Year-on-year percentage growth. Team size. Reserves. Square feet of office space. All fine. And if we apply the ‘bigger is better than smaller’ rule than we’ll stretch the numbers we set. But isn’t that all a bit’ well’ boring? Consider these goals instead. “I want to spend 100 days every year off-grid. On a mountain. Walking or cycling.” “I want to spend 12 weekends every year camping with my children. That’s once each month.” “In five years from now I want a second property that I bought for £50k to £100k. I’ll spend another £30k on it. Then the family can enjoy it and we’ll rent it out also’ generating £20k each year.” (Take a look at www.wreckoftheweek.co.uk. You can make it happen). “I want to grow 50% of the food my family eats. And generate 75% of the energy we consume. Within two years from now.”
The Ripple Effect.
A couple of things happen when we set interesting goals. First’ when you talk about them’ or when others hear about them. You’re smiling. They’re smiling. There’s enthusiasm. There’s energy. There’s excitement! All of which means you’ll be more driven to chase them consistently’ and to achieve them. And secondly’ with most people’ there’s a ripple effect. If you have interesting goals’ other people want interesting goals of their own’ too.
First Things First
We hear lots of businesspeople talking about what they want to achieve. Business specific goals. But if you think about it’ turnover for the sake of turnover or profit for the sake of profit is all a bit dull and pointless’ really. It’s what you want to do with this kind of success that really matters. That’s what should be driving us. That’s where the focus should be. Put first things first. All of the things mentioned above. Fresh air and freedom on mountains’ regular family camping adventures’ property development and an amazing parallel life it enables’ or sustainable approaches to living; they all need to be financed somehow. They can normally only happen as a result of good business performance. But isn’t it better to be driven by something that you can feel and imagine and sense’ rather than numbers on a spreadsheet?
And isn’t it nice to imagine that by painting vivid and emotional pictures with your goal setting’ you might be inspiring others to become more adventurous with their goal setting too? Change your goals to change your world. And maybe the worlds of a few other people too. Or to put it another way’ don’t be driven by making money. Be driven by making memories instead.
