Goal Setting: Re-Imagined

If you Google “Goal Setting” you will get ~399 million results. It is, obviously, a very popular topic yet I find that very few people I meet have set and documented any goals in their life nor have they planned the steps necessary to meet those desires or dreams. If they have attempted goal setting they have very likely set goals that were too aggressive or unrealistic. They then failed to plan the steps needed to achieve those goals which led to failure and eventual abandonment. If you read through some of the content out there on goal setting you will often find a push to “Set Aggressive Goals.” I feel this can be misconstrued and executed as “Overly Optimistic Goals” that result in failure and disappointment. I by no means believe we should set goals that are not challenging, but there is a middle ground here. Maybe it’s the term “Goal Setting” that needs changed or updated.

Joy Setting instead of Goal Setting

I think goal setting needs updated. Goal setting needs to be re-imagined. It is an important tool that can help anyone improve their journey and overall happiness but it is stale and tired. Why not set attainable targets that result in joy throughout the process vs. stress and disappointment. Let’s talk about #joysetting.

THE ONLY IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY IS THE ONE YOU NEVER BEGIN. ~Tony Robbins

S.M.A.R.T.(E.R.)

I really did not want to use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym. Acronyms and buzz words that are overly used in the business world really leave a bad taste in my mouth. I can’t count the number of times I have rolled my eyes hearing someone bring this old acronym up in a meeting or conference but there is really no way to discuss Goal Joy Setting without it. It works. It is generally accepted that the SMART acronym was first written down in 1981 by George T. Doran in Spokane Washington.  There are plenty of variants for each letter in this acronym. Here are a few:

• S – Specific or Significant
• M – Measurable or Meaningful
• A – Attainable, Action-Oriented, Achievable or Assignable
• R – Relevant, Rewarding, or Realistic
• T – Time-bound or Trackable

If I am going to use this acronym I have to re-imagine it as well. It is just as stale and tired as Goal Setting in general.  Joy Setting will be S.M.A.R.T.E.R. (Of course, there really is not much left that you can call new or original anymore, Google “SMARTER Goals” and you’ll get ~61 Million results)

S – Specific

The first step in joy setting is to set a target that is specific – very specific. The more specific you are about the target, the easier it is to identify the steps needed to accomplish it. You cannot be vague and say you want to make more money or lose more weight. How much more money do you want to make? How much weight do you want to lose? Set as specific of a target as possible and never be afraid to be too specific.

M – Meaningful

For the purpose of personal joy setting we are going to use “Meaningful” for the letter M. If we were goal setting in the workplace I would lean more towards “Measurable” so that those measurements could be analyzed to determine next steps and goals. Set targets that are meaningful enough to you that you’ll do what it takes to achieve them. Write out what your target means to you and make sure it is something important.

A – Achievable

Here is where I believe Joy Setting will be a bit different than standard Goal Setting. Almost every piece of content or quote out there about goal setting really pushes for very aggressive goals. “A” could easily stand for “Aggressive.” Now, I believe anything is possible. My wife will attest that “Possibilities” is my favorite word but we need to be realistic about the time and energy it will take to reach certain possibilities. Time is our most precious asset. You can not make more time……yet, so you have to allocate your time wisely.  For example, I believe it is absolutely possible to have six pack abs even as I approach 50 but it would take a level of focus and time working out (and possibly a little cosmetic surgery) that I am simply not willing to do, so it would not be an achievable target for me to set. Set targets you can actually achieve (in a set time frame) so that you build momentum and experience JOY! They are NOT to be easy, but they need to be attainable and joyful. You can broaden the target into much greater hopes and dreams down the road.

 R – Rewarding

I am choosing “Rewarding” for “R.” How else is the journey going to be joyful unless the target is rewarding? The target needs to be in  harmony with what you actually want out of life. This is the key to joy setting. We want targets that are rewarding so that the journey is joyful. Back to the six pack abs example, it would not be enjoyable for me to be working out 2-3 hours a day while measuring every calorie in order to achieve that target. The journey is more important than the target, make yours joyful and rewarding.

T – Time-Bound

Set a date for when you plan to achieve your target. I like to break mine down to at least 3-month progress points that can be reviewed daily, weekly, or monthly dependent on the target. If losing 40 pounds in a year is your longer term target then the first 3-month target would be to lose 10 pounds. You could review your progress towards that 10 pounds every month looking for ~3 to 4 pound losses. You would not want to review your progress for that target daily or you would drive yourself mad and most likely become frustrated. The target may change either because your focus has changed,  or your speed towards the target has changed. At the end of the 3 months you will review your progress and set the next target. The key is to enjoy the process and journey.

E – Energizing

Admittedly very similar to “Rewarding” in the “R”, I feel we need to ensure our targets are energizing and I need an “E” to re-imagine this. 🙂 Seriously, the difference here is that keeping the journey joyful as we progress towards our targets may actually take some brain training. We will need to get energized and pumped up for the steps it is going to take to achieve the target which is not always easy. In the weight loss example, losing weight is going to require eating less while exercising more. It is just that simple and many people will have a hard time finding that joyful. The destination will become important as we energize our brain, body, and spirit to take the journey.

R – Renewable

I prefer the term renewable but you could also use reevaluate or revise. We need all three actually. (S.M.A.R.T.E.R.R.R.?) You will certainly find yourself missing dates you set for some of your targets. You will certainly need to renew your commitment to certain targets after missing those dates. You may decide to revise the target because your focus and priorities have shifted. The overarching point is that the journey is more important than the target. When the due date arrives and you haven’t reached your target:

• Reevaluate each letter of the S.M.A.R.T.E.R acronym as they pertain to the target in question.
• Revise the target if necessary.
• Renew your commitment to achieving the target.
• Enjoy the journey.

Life is challenging. Overcoming those challenges is living. Everything else is just existing.

#JTC is basically goal joy setting focused on overcoming challenges in specific focus areas of your life while guiding and maintaining a balance between those focus areas.

Are you ready to start Joy Setting?

The Joy Setting process will be the focus for October. Be sure to follow #JTC on Facebook and sign up for email notifications to start your journey.