The most important rule of goal setting.
Write down your goals, they said. I did.
Tell people about your goals, they said. I did.
You have to have tangible, specific goals, they said. Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, future goals…I did.
So? Where are the results? Why haven’t I achieved them? Where is the magic that’s supposed to make ‘it’ happen?
‘They’ forgot to tell me the most important rule of goal setting:
You have to actually do something.
Who knew? Turns out I can’t just write or talk about my goals, even those really specific ones like writing 500 words a day, or 1,000, or 10,000. Or walking 3,000 steps tomorrow and doing 2 push-ups the day after.
Even with my plan written down and formatted brilliantly, neatly, with colours and columns and ticks and crosses and spaces for stickers.
Even with me telling someone about my plan and my goals so they’ll hold me accountable. Hint: no one ever does, especially if they’re close to you, because they know you’ll snap at them and you’ll tell them to mind their own business using more words than your daily word count even though you assured them you wouldn’t.
Apparently, unless I actually do something — take some sort of action — those written-down goals and talked-about goals have less value than a copy of Windows Vista.
Everybody knows at least one person who talks a big game. Sometimes they even have things written down. Plans to go overseas…but next year. Determined to chase his dream…but later. Going to change jobs to pursue her passion…but the time’s not quite right, too much else going on right now, and anyway she has to move house in six months and she has to feed her dog in the meantime.
That ‘friend’ talks a lot, waxes eloquently (sometimes not so eloquently, especially over drinks) for hours about their goals and plans and the future and what they’re going to do, but…Nothing. Ever. Happens. He doesn’t actually DO anything to make it happen. Turns out, that’s me.
Now I think this is a crock of sugar, honey, ice, and tea. I don’t believe I made a fully informed decision when I started writing down goals all those years ago because, obviously, some of the terms and conditions were on the missing piece of the page. Possibly on the bit I’ve been using as a bookmark in that book that I started but never got past the third chapter so I put it on my bookshelf in the MTAOT (maybe-try-again-other-time) section.
I’ve been making goals for many years (I actually haven’t) and none of the results I want have materialised (they actually haven’t). I want my money back. But I can’t be bothered doing anything about it and the time’s not quite right.
If plans and written goals work for you — all power to you. Write them down, make them specific, yell them from the rooftops for all to hear. I’ll celebrate with you by clicking that like button when you tell me about them on Facebook. I’m not stingy with my like clicks.
Me? I no longer write down goals. I keep them in foggy rooms in my head and pay no attention to them. I let them get out of shape and tired, let them watch television all day. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
You know those random ideas that pop into your head when you’re looking at something else? That’s what happens now with my goals. Every so often, I look up and one of those vague goals has gotten bored with FBI: Most Wanted, changed its diet, lost weight, and sprinted to the finish line without me noticing until it collects its medal.
Then I just smile, wave, and move on.
