Monday, August 20, 2012

Having Goals Is Dumb

Summer is officially winding down. Schools are open in the South, and soon will be everywhere else. Vacations are just a memory now, and the anticipation and excitement about all that summer has in store has become a more mellow and subdued feeling.

You may be experiencing those same emotions at work. Perhaps that long sought after promotion has drifted off your radar screen. Or maybe projects that you were so fired up about didn't quite get off the ground the way you expected. Could it be that you've reached a certain level of success and there doesn't seem to be anything new on the horizon?

Maybe things are just a bit...flat.

Traditional Goals
Goals have become such an over used term that they often lose their luster. Personal goals, professional goals, life long goals, exercise goals, weight loss goals, and on and on and on. It seems we're always looking ahead in every aspect of our lives...never quite getting there...never being good enough.

Maybe we haven't quite figured out the right way to use goals.

Modern Goals
Have we ever considered that making each day a meaningful and productive experience could be the most effective goal we could set? I know we all create lists and obsessively manage our calendars to be as efficient as possible. That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm wondering if we could adopt the mindset that each day is a special moment in our lives and careers and that we have the opportunity to change everything? Forget our lists for a minute...they will be there when we flip those 'to do' items to tomorrow just like we've done so many times in the past.

Maybe having modern goals means we're going to attack each day as if we were about to change the world?

How About You
Do you feel stuck...empty...a bit flat? There is so much more ahead of you than what is behind you. What you do today matters more than you think. Go for it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit

4 comments:

  1. Thanks Jay! I agree. If you push yourself just out of your comfort zone on a daily basis it's surprising how quickly a person can meet or exceed their larger goals!

    Craig Garrett, SPHR
    http://humanresourceleaders.blogspot.com/
    Twitter: GarrettSPHR

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like this! Instead of allowing a goal to be a burden, a "must-do" driving you, this attitude allows you to let your enthusiasm and creativity propel you forward. Thanks!

    Pam Ellis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment Pam. I love the idea of creativity driving you, not an artificial goal!

      Delete