Everyone tells you it is essential to set goals, to grow yourself and your business. A coach I had once said: “You are the most natural goal setter I’ve ever coached”, but it is easier said than done. It is the emotional reason that moves the goal from the painful list of things “to do” to something that you desire to do.
I guide my life by what I call the “three plus three minus” rule or test. It is really simple:
- What 3 things are frustrating you the most?
- What 3 things do you most enjoy?
- What actions can you take to minimise or remove the 3 things in point one?
- What actions can you take to increase the 3 things in point 2?
- Your answers to (3) and (4) are your goals are for the next year.
I do the 3+/3- activity at the end of the year for the next year, and when I am frustrated. It helps me get focused and back on track again. It is also a great activity to do each night:
- What was great today?
- What would I prefer to not be spending my time doing, or what did I find frustrating?
Doing that as you go to sleep allows your mind to work it over and you wake up with solutions that you can focus on for the next day.
Seth Godin wrote a great blog post:
“The thing about goals
Having goals is a pain in the neck.
If you don’t have a goal (a corporate goal, a market share goal, a personal career goal, an athletic goal…) then you can just do your best. You can take what comes. You can reprioritise on a regular basis. If you don’t have a goal, you never have to worry about missing it. If you don’t have a goal you don’t need nearly as many excuses, either.
Not having a goal lets you make a ruckus, or have more fun, or spend time doing what matters right now, which is, after all, the moment in which you are living.
The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.
It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact… those people have goals.”
If I was to have written that post, I would have said that…
The thing about goals is…
Goals give you something to aim for, but the goal lacks the emotional reason for setting it. This is why I like the 3+/3- rule as it reminds you why you set the objective.
Goals are supposed to be SMART
S = specific
M = measurable
A = attainable
R = realistic
T = time specific
But, SMART doesn’t have an E, otherwise it would be SMARTE and sound like a candy coated chocolate. The problem is they miss the emotional involvement. A goal needs to have an emotional motivator, to keep you energised to gaining the goal, as it isn’t always easy to get to the end objective of your goal.
