Goals Are Lame!
Goals Are Lame!
What did I just say?! Am I questioning the almighty “goal”? Yep. I don’t like them, they bother me (at least the way they are presented to most people), and I’ll tell you why. But before I do, let me say I’m not referring to essential goals like “pay rent, bills, etc., by Thursday.” Those you must (of course) keep.
I’m referring to the “fantasy” goals. You know the ones, “Wouldn’t it be nice if…?” Here’s the normal goal setting process; to really cement the direction, you get all decisive about it, write it down in a special book (which you may not ever look at again), and put a date next to it to give it some more “power”. Ah, made you feel great – right?
That may work for some but not for me. I think it’s a huge downer having to look at those goals every day, reminding you of things you do not have. It’s like a few drops of kerosene in a cake mix.
But then, what happens the next day after your goal was set? Something else comes along and you get sidetracked. I was discussing this with a member and he said:
There is no denying there is something powerful about writing down a goal and putting a date next to it and feeling the urgency, but its only use seems to be to get you moving initially. Because what does it really matter if you achieve anything by a certain day or a week, month or year, later or sooner?
When you achieve it, all it will do is fill your shot glass with some excitement or satisfaction for that day. The next morning you’re still going to have to live on something. Arguably satisfaction will suffice, but really, all that effort for one day of excitement, was it worth all the anguish?
But you might say, “But Bill, I like my goals, I want them,” and that’s fine because…
That’s right. Go to all your goals right now and cross out all the dates of your nonessential fantasy goals, but while you’ve got your pen in your hand, I’ll show you a neat trick.
Nature is slowed down by the human notion of “dates on goals.” Nature only understands one speed – AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! That’s nature’s way. If you let your goals come to you at their own pace, they will come at you so fast that you will literally be caught off guard. I also suggest instead of “goals” you call them “aims” or “directions,” and there’s a very good reason why.
Achieving a goal is a one-off exciting event that usually lasts just one moment. It can only last one day at the most, because that’s the maximum amount of real time we have. When you are sleeping at night, you are un- conscious and have no control over your life.
Every day you start fresh and thirsty for something new, exciting or satisfying. But let me ask you; a fantasy goal, can you achieve it today? No. It must go down as a “failure to achieve today.”
However, if you removed your dates and made it a “direction” or an “aim,” could you travel in that “direction” today? Yes. Then it must go down as a “success achieved today.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need goals with dates staring at me everywhere I look, killing my buzz and reminding me of things I don’t have or have not achieved yet. It’s just another negative thought I have to try and flush for nothing. If anything they are a DE-motivating force.
Keep the nice pictures and desires (if they make you smile), just lose the dates and replace them with A.S.A.P! You’ll get them much faster.
The reason for this is that goals will expand to the time allotted to them, no matter how fast a pace you think you’ve set them.
An example might be to finish writing your book by next Christmas. So you divide the task into little chunks and set a task to do each day or each week, just as you’ve been told. You might even start achieving these steps and feeling good. One day you might do your 30 minutes of writing then stop and relax, satisfied that you’ve done something to achieve your ultimate goal.
Now let’s try it with A.S.A.P!
You aim to write a book as soon as possible. You set out the tasks, but there are no dates. Think of the tasks as mile markers you wave to on your way past. What happens when you remove the dates and replace them with ASAP!? You allow for immersion.
For example, let’s say one day you’re bored or get a spark for a paragraph you must include in your new book. You rush into your writing room (taking a huge swig of excitement along the way) and sit down. But without a 30 minute “restriction,” you just sit and write and write and write and write, until at 3a.m. you realize that you just finished five whole chapters. Something the old step-a-day system would not have accomplished for months.
I know you might be worried about removing the dates from your goals, because everyone has always said, “Put dates on your goals!” Well, let me ask you…how has that been working for you?
I give you permission to remove the dates off all your nonessential goals and replace them with A.S.A.P!
What did I just say?! Am I questioning the almighty “goal”? Yep. I don’t like them, they bother me (at least the way they are presented to most people), and I’ll tell you why. But before I do, let me say I’m not referring to essential goals like “pay rent, bills, etc., by Thursday.” Those you must (of course) keep.
I’m referring to the “fantasy” goals. You know the ones, “Wouldn’t it be nice if…?” Here’s the normal goal setting process; to really cement the direction, you get all decisive about it, write it down in a special book (which you may not ever look at again), and put a date next to it to give it some more “power”. Ah, made you feel great – right?
That may work for some but not for me. I think it’s a huge downer having to look at those goals every day, reminding you of things you do not have. It’s like a few drops of kerosene in a cake mix.
But then, what happens the next day after your goal was set? Something else comes along and you get sidetracked. I was discussing this with a member and he said:
| “Bill, you know, I have this fantastic website I go to. It allows me to set out all my goals and add details. It also allows me to set specific steps that I must achieve by certain dates in order to be on track to get my goal. It even notifies me all the time to remind me. It’s very modern , but the only time I go in there these days is to move the dates away, because they make me feel bad.” |
When you achieve it, all it will do is fill your shot glass with some excitement or satisfaction for that day. The next morning you’re still going to have to live on something. Arguably satisfaction will suffice, but really, all that effort for one day of excitement, was it worth all the anguish?
But you might say, “But Bill, I like my goals, I want them,” and that’s fine because…
You may keep all your “goals” on one condition…
LOSE THE DATES!!
LOSE THE DATES!!
That’s right. Go to all your goals right now and cross out all the dates of your nonessential fantasy goals, but while you’ve got your pen in your hand, I’ll show you a neat trick.
Replace Dates on Goals with ‘A.S.A.P!’
Nature is slowed down by the human notion of “dates on goals.” Nature only understands one speed – AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! That’s nature’s way. If you let your goals come to you at their own pace, they will come at you so fast that you will literally be caught off guard. I also suggest instead of “goals” you call them “aims” or “directions,” and there’s a very good reason why.
Achieving a goal is a one-off exciting event that usually lasts just one moment. It can only last one day at the most, because that’s the maximum amount of real time we have. When you are sleeping at night, you are un- conscious and have no control over your life.
Every day you start fresh and thirsty for something new, exciting or satisfying. But let me ask you; a fantasy goal, can you achieve it today? No. It must go down as a “failure to achieve today.”
However, if you removed your dates and made it a “direction” or an “aim,” could you travel in that “direction” today? Yes. Then it must go down as a “success achieved today.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need goals with dates staring at me everywhere I look, killing my buzz and reminding me of things I don’t have or have not achieved yet. It’s just another negative thought I have to try and flush for nothing. If anything they are a DE-motivating force.
Keep the nice pictures and desires (if they make you smile), just lose the dates and replace them with A.S.A.P! You’ll get them much faster.
The reason for this is that goals will expand to the time allotted to them, no matter how fast a pace you think you’ve set them.
An example might be to finish writing your book by next Christmas. So you divide the task into little chunks and set a task to do each day or each week, just as you’ve been told. You might even start achieving these steps and feeling good. One day you might do your 30 minutes of writing then stop and relax, satisfied that you’ve done something to achieve your ultimate goal.
Now let’s try it with A.S.A.P!
You aim to write a book as soon as possible. You set out the tasks, but there are no dates. Think of the tasks as mile markers you wave to on your way past. What happens when you remove the dates and replace them with ASAP!? You allow for immersion.
For example, let’s say one day you’re bored or get a spark for a paragraph you must include in your new book. You rush into your writing room (taking a huge swig of excitement along the way) and sit down. But without a 30 minute “restriction,” you just sit and write and write and write and write, until at 3a.m. you realize that you just finished five whole chapters. Something the old step-a-day system would not have accomplished for months.
Remove the dates on all your fantasy goals, replace them with “As Soon As Possible!” and
watch your life TAKE OFF!
watch your life TAKE OFF!
I know you might be worried about removing the dates from your goals, because everyone has always said, “Put dates on your goals!” Well, let me ask you…how has that been working for you?
I give you permission to remove the dates off all your nonessential goals and replace them with A.S.A.P!
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