Goals

“If you have a goal in life that takes a lot of energy, that requires a lot of work, that incurs a great deal of interest and that is a challenge to you, you will always look forward to waking up to see what the new day brings.” ~~Susan Polis Schultz~~

And when you keep that goal in mind while remaining flexible in your plan to achieve that goal, the new day can bring so many different things…and you never know what you’re going to get! (Remember that box of chocolates???)

I attended a phenomenal networking event last night. I met some amazing people. I had no idea what to expect when I walked in the door, but I am so thrilled that I attended! I had several fantastic conversations, and I will discuss some of them in the days to come I’m sure, but one really struck me. I was speaking with Lawrence Eisner, ESQ (www.LBEisner.com) about how different people make sense of the chaos in the world. It was fascinating. Some people organize things by geography, remembering occurrences by where they took place. Other people may relate everything to music or art. The premise was that *innately* something helps you put order around what could otherwise be chaotic; that you are born with a way to cope. I had never really thought about it, and actually had a hard time identifying how I make sense of my world. Larry got it! I am a connector! I always have been. I put people together. I remember things by who they happened with. I discuss people by talking about who they know. I introduce people to other people and help make lasting friendships and partnerships. It is second nature to me. And, it’s showing up now! I gravitated to social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, because they allow me to continue to be the social connector, but now on a larger scale. And I still group people together by who they know or associate with. That may seem like an obvious thing to do, especially on Twitter, but it didn’t seem so obvious at our table last night. My goals on Twitter were vastly different from others’ goals. I am on Twitter with the sole intention of connecting and engaging. I am on Facebook with the primary goal of keeping the people in my world motivated. I am on LinkedIn, and teach people how to use LinkedIn so they can build their networks and get more people to know about them. I’m all about connecting, and it all makes sense to me. More importantly, it’s helped me make some sense of my journey!

How do you make sense of your world? I think once you figure that out, your path to achieving your goal will become much more clear! It did for me!

Preparation

“In the future, instead of striving to be right at a high cost, it will be more appropriate to be flexible and plural at a lower cost. If you cannot accurately predict the future then you must flexibly be prepared to deal with various possible futures.” ~~Edward de Bono~~

This may be the best quote ever! Well, OK, maybe not, but so relevant for me today on so many levels.

1. How important is it to be right? Is it worth being angry? Is it worth a fight? Is it worth losing a friendship? Is it worth wasting time and energy that could somehow otherwise be spent? Maybe, maybe not… I guess it depends on what you’re hell-bent on being right about…

2. How important is it to be prepared? How much time should you spend preparing vs. actually doing? What if you spend an enormous amount of time preparing for something that doesn’t happen? Alternatively, what if you spend no time at all preparing for something that does happen?

Maybe what’s most important is to be flexible… Fight for what you know is right when it’s really worth fighting for. Prepare for what you can, and then let it go. But, be prepared to present yourself in the best way you know how. At some point it will benefit you, even if that point is not exactly how you pictured it.

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.” ~~G. K. Chesterton

Goals

"The most important thing about goals is having one." ~~Geoffry F. Abert~~

I think there is a lesson to be learned from my apparent inability to stick to my “plan of the day” on the days I write about goals. Yesterday, I had a very clear plan for today. Then life got in the way. A Honda minivan was driven directly into a classroom in my son’s daycare center; over the curb, across the sidewalk, through the bushes, and right through the wall. Miraculously, nobody was hurt. The teachers, for some inexplicable reason, had decided to take the kids outside early. The classroom was empty. I am eternally grateful to them for that decision.

Needless to say, daycare was closed today, and my “plans” changed. And, while this may be one of the more extreme situations I’ve faced recently (and, yes, really, everything is fine!), it certainly isn’t the only time that my goals were usurped by my reality.

Back to the lesson… I think I need to learn to better be that “river” I’ve written about. I think I need to learn to be more flexible, and “go with the flow” while keeping my eyes on the longer term goals and bigger picture. I know where I want to end up, but I need to stop being so hard on myself when my day’s plans are altered. I have a goal. And, I will get there…someday.

Preparation

"Life is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want." ~~Brian Tracy~~

Have you figured out your winning combination? If you have, consider yourself extremely lucky. Most of us are still working on ours. Even when I think I have determined mine, something changes and I need to figure out a new one. That’s life. I have often heard the sentiment that the only thing that is constant is change. (I would love to give credit so if you can figure out who said that first, please let me know…) In light of that, here’s my next attempt at my winning combination. It’s a lot less specific than others have been in the past. Maybe that’s the answer… Prepare. Plan. Stay flexible. Bend. Prepare. Might that work for you?

Monday: Preparation

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” ~Tony Robbins

You never know what curveball life will throw your way. Being flexible may, on the outside, look like the antithesis of preparation, but in my opinion, it is because of proper preparation that I maintain the ability to stay flexible… in spite of my circumstances…

Flexibility is another key principle of success.

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” ~Lao Tzu

Thursday: Goals

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” ~Tony Robbins

Funny thing about goals… you have to be prepared to change them; especially the short term ones. I had a great plan for this morning. I knew exactly what my post was going to be about. But now, we’ll have to wait until next week for that pearl of wisdom. Instead, I will write about this:

I got an interesting email in response to a recent post. The email questioned my suggestion about setting “achievable” short term goals. This person found it best to set goals just outside predicted “achievability”. He found that if he set a goal he could reach, once it was reached, he unconsciously stopped working so hard. He coasted for the rest of the year… Whereas if he set a goal he could not practically reach, he would push himself all year, and while he never reached his goal, was never unhappy with the result… An interesting perspective… And, if it works for you, well then by all means, use it!

Goals can motivate people in many different ways. Whether the goal is a quota for the year, a growth plan for a business, or even a simple TO DO list, the purpose of the goal is to motivate… not give you an excuse to slack off. Yes, you should celebrate when you reach a goal. I still think that’s important. But then change your goal, or add a new one… Keep Going! Imagine how much more you can do!