Over the past several years, I have tried to make a list of goals for the new year. I have not been successful every year in making the list, but it has been helpful when I do. I think that creating a list of goals makes for a more positive outlook and a balanced life.
I got interested in making lists of goals after listening to a tape by Charles Givens. He decided on what he wanted to do and achieve. He said that his list of goals were items that he wrote down with a marker on a pad of paper. Givens said that when he got done with the list he came up with another list of things that he wanted to do.
Goals: What are they?
My definition of a goal is a desired, specific accomplishment or achievement. For the purpose of this post--a goal can also be a project. They can take a few minutes or they can take years. They can be big or small. We can have goals for the minute, hour, day, or our lives.
I frankly think that a healthy goal should be something that takes no more than a few years at the most (although it took me seven (7) years to get my Ph.D.). Otherwise we tend to waste energy when we could accomplish smaller tasks that matter to us.
How do we decide the goals we pursue?
There are many sources of goals. Ideally goals arise out of our values and principles. Goals also arise out of corporate mission statements, which are related to individual values and principles. Goals also arise out of our interests and curiosities. Goals also arise out of our less-than desirable circumstances (we may decide that we need to find a new job, career, or living situation).
What makes for a good goal?
A good goal should be concrete, measurable, reasonable, and achievable. A good goal should push you a little and make you work and stretch yourself so that you grow.
To say I want to be a better person or I want to be skinny are not concrete but vague and nebulous and nowhere likely to be accomplished--and lead to hopelessness and frustration and lower self-esteem. More concrete goals in these cases are I am going to stop swearing or gossiping or I am going to join Weight Watchers and endeavor to lose 30 pounds.
To say I want to be the next Tom Cruise is concrete, and probably measureable, but the only way I could be the next Tom Cruise is to go and legally change my name--and will not make me achieve Hollywood Star status making millions of dollars a picture. (I actually relish my plain average person status and feel relieved sometimes that the Tabloids are not interested in me and that Paparazzi do not follow me around trying to get embarassing and unflattering pictures). Some concrete goals are nothing more than pipe dreams.
Examples of Goals:
The following are lists of good and reasonable goals for average people.
One of my most challenging projects on my lists over the years was re-doing the floor of the workroom of my garage in 2010. The original owner/builder of the garage put down tile back in the 1970s. It was ugly and moldy due to dry rot and what the regular flooding did to the adhesive. I had to stop in part due to distraction from family medical issues, and I had to figure someway to remove the tile because I kept going through propane torches trying to heat the tile. It took me trial and error but I ended up using a hatchet to chop at the tile. I then finally was able to epoxy paint the floor in 2010.
It was a simple goal that turned out not to be so simple and it challenged me, but I still feel very good about the accomplishment. It looks good and I did it myself. There was something about the process that stretched me in figuring out how to get the job done.
Limits: don't create too long of a list
If this idea of a list of goals appeals to you, go for it. However, I think some restraint is in order. I think a list of goals should be no longer than 10 goals. When people make too many goals the size of the list can be overwhelming and people never get anything done. There is always the option of adding to the list when you accomplish the goals.
I hope that your 2012 is a year full of satisfaction and achievement because you set good goals to make your life better.
I got interested in making lists of goals after listening to a tape by Charles Givens. He decided on what he wanted to do and achieve. He said that his list of goals were items that he wrote down with a marker on a pad of paper. Givens said that when he got done with the list he came up with another list of things that he wanted to do.
Goals: What are they?
My definition of a goal is a desired, specific accomplishment or achievement. For the purpose of this post--a goal can also be a project. They can take a few minutes or they can take years. They can be big or small. We can have goals for the minute, hour, day, or our lives.
I frankly think that a healthy goal should be something that takes no more than a few years at the most (although it took me seven (7) years to get my Ph.D.). Otherwise we tend to waste energy when we could accomplish smaller tasks that matter to us.
How do we decide the goals we pursue?
There are many sources of goals. Ideally goals arise out of our values and principles. Goals also arise out of corporate mission statements, which are related to individual values and principles. Goals also arise out of our interests and curiosities. Goals also arise out of our less-than desirable circumstances (we may decide that we need to find a new job, career, or living situation).
What makes for a good goal?
A good goal should be concrete, measurable, reasonable, and achievable. A good goal should push you a little and make you work and stretch yourself so that you grow.
To say I want to be a better person or I want to be skinny are not concrete but vague and nebulous and nowhere likely to be accomplished--and lead to hopelessness and frustration and lower self-esteem. More concrete goals in these cases are I am going to stop swearing or gossiping or I am going to join Weight Watchers and endeavor to lose 30 pounds.
To say I want to be the next Tom Cruise is concrete, and probably measureable, but the only way I could be the next Tom Cruise is to go and legally change my name--and will not make me achieve Hollywood Star status making millions of dollars a picture. (I actually relish my plain average person status and feel relieved sometimes that the Tabloids are not interested in me and that Paparazzi do not follow me around trying to get embarassing and unflattering pictures). Some concrete goals are nothing more than pipe dreams.
Examples of Goals:
The following are lists of good and reasonable goals for average people.
- Run or walk in a mini marathon.
- Plant a garden if you have the space
- Read five books in different subject areas.
- Save a specific amount of money.
- Get specific projects done in your house.
- Redo your resume.
- Find a new job.
- Take a night class (a foreign language class would be good).
- Take the ACT, SAT or GRE test this year.
- Go back to school
- Get a new professional certification
- Go on a vacation to someplace different.
- Build a wood project or an electronic project.
One of my most challenging projects on my lists over the years was re-doing the floor of the workroom of my garage in 2010. The original owner/builder of the garage put down tile back in the 1970s. It was ugly and moldy due to dry rot and what the regular flooding did to the adhesive. I had to stop in part due to distraction from family medical issues, and I had to figure someway to remove the tile because I kept going through propane torches trying to heat the tile. It took me trial and error but I ended up using a hatchet to chop at the tile. I then finally was able to epoxy paint the floor in 2010.
It was a simple goal that turned out not to be so simple and it challenged me, but I still feel very good about the accomplishment. It looks good and I did it myself. There was something about the process that stretched me in figuring out how to get the job done.
Limits: don't create too long of a list
If this idea of a list of goals appeals to you, go for it. However, I think some restraint is in order. I think a list of goals should be no longer than 10 goals. When people make too many goals the size of the list can be overwhelming and people never get anything done. There is always the option of adding to the list when you accomplish the goals.
I hope that your 2012 is a year full of satisfaction and achievement because you set good goals to make your life better.
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