How to get through the goal-setting noise and create a plan that means something
REFLECTIONS! GOALS! INTENTIONS! etc, etc, etc...
You'll be hearing a lot about these topics at the moment. I'll bet nearly everyone reading this won't have achieved absolutely everything they want to achieve this year.
And a fair few will have ticked off most of their goals and still feel something is missing.
Finding Your True North
When looking back at this year, think to yourself... sometimes it's not about the destination, it's about the direction.
Goals are great, they're the waypoints we set, intentions are great, they are HOW we get there... But without that bearing, what True North means to you, you could be heading in totally the wrong direction.
This is why THIS small win I talk about is actually huge - it never featured on my list of goals at the start of the year, but wow, did it get me back on my bearing...
The Power of Intention
We often make the mistake of looking at just one part of the equation when it comes to our ambitions for the year ahead.
Nothing for me is more important than your True North, your bearing, your journey, your purpose, but goals and intentions have a crucial part to play in this too.
Intentions for me are the HOW you want to get there. They show up in the decisions you make every day that nudge you towards your ‘True North’ and manifest themselves in the goals you set.
For example… My intention for next year is to experiment more - experimentation is crucial to me because I learn from it, and learning is growth, and growth is part of my journey.
And here is how it links to behaviour and goals…
Intention = Experiment more
Behaviour/Decision = choose trying new ideas, not fear of failure
Goal = Create a different Walkshop event for each month of the year
Going for Goals
Are Goals overrated?
For me, they are critical to successful planning, but if used incorrectly or in isolation, they can be ineffective and actually create more confusion and chaos.
When it comes to looking ahead in your business, in your career, in your life, the Golden Triangle of your Bearing (True North), Intentions, and Goals ALL work together.
The biggest mistake I see when setting goals, is setting goals without understanding your direction, your bearing, your True North. Unless you understand your bearing, you will never know whether the goals you are setting are actually taking you where you want to go, and you could be on the wrong path.
The second mistake I see is setting goals which are vague and meaningless. Something like 'My goal is to lose weight' fails on several levels. How much weight do you want to lose? By when? And most importantly why? What is driving it? Is this goal along your path to True North?
Sometimes we set vague goals because we don't know any better, sometimes because we don't give this exercise the time it really needs to be effective, but sometimes, sometimes we set vague goals because we don't WANT to commit to them and actually don’t want to reach them.
And this for me is the litmus test for any goal you set. It comes right back to your True North again. If your goal is aligned with who you are and who you want to be, the thought of achieving it will make you feel like you are growing. That feeling makes it so much easier to commit to it, and also helps you to understand what it actually means.
If it isn't aligned with your True North, you will NOT be able to envision it happening at all, and any thoughts about it will make you feel ambivalent at best or empty at worst.
Creating Time and Space for Big Picture Thinking
There might feel like there is a lot to consider when looking ahead, but we sadly don’t give this Big Picture Thinking the time and space it deserves.
Big Picture Thinking is nearly impossible to do when you are bouncing between items on your to do list.
It is nearly impossible when you are interrupted constantly.
It is nearly impossible to think about the future when you are in the same place you live your every-day life.
Big Picture Thinking needs abstraction, distraction and reflection, which is why I plan an outdoor walking adventure, every quarter, to reflect, check I’m heading on the bearing to my True North, set my intentions and create my goals. And it is why I set up Mountain Boardroom in the first place - to help guide others on this path, on adventures in the outdoors.
So… ring-fence a day in your calendar.
Choose a place that inspires you.
And go.
