A Goal Setting Checklist... Avoiding 'Goalodicy'

There are many models out there which are designed to help you achieve your goals. There is a whole industry built on it. We are in this industry.

There are many coaches out there who will teach their own philosophy when it comes to discussing goals. We all view it as different. Bringing our own beliefs and values to the table.

I personally believe this whole industry is often heavily leaned on setting goals as ‘critical to success’ only, or heavily outcome focused, leading hugely on grandiose goals.

As I always say... if you are not climbing Mount Everest barefoot, then your 'playing it small' in the eyes of much of this field I have come to realise that this is a load of bolox and in my opinion, a sales tactic utilised within the field.

I fell for it when I first got involved in this industry. I have achieved some fairly big fitness feats (and still very small to a lot of people). I climbed Roseberry topping 30 times in under 24 hours, I have ran back to back marathons in two days, this year I completed the David Goggin's 4 x 4 x 4 running challenge, running 48 miles in 48 hours during some mad hours . These were tough as hell. I learned a lot. BUT, I thought I had to do them to prove I could 'stay hard' and prove I have a resilient mindset.

Now let me make a point here, I am not saying there is anything the matter with this at all, I love to see people push themselves, and I guarantee that I will engage in something in the future which tests me in such a way. I learned a lot from these challenges and they bring value. However, I have realised it does not need to be at this level all the time.

Just recently, I completed a 6-week ju-jitsu course and I loved it. It was a goal to always try this. I was a beginner again. Having to walk into a new gym and try something new from scratch. It was pure enjoyment, but yes it also made me feel slightly uncomfortable at times. I was at the very bottom level. It was still an accomplishment to go in and do it. I loved it.

The point is, when it comes to goal setting and achieving goals, we all have different goals, we all operate at different levels, and you can still get the benefit of setting goals, even if such goals are 'small'.

I put a post out this week that explained.

For Person A - Running a marathon is their goal

For Person B - Running 5k is their goal

The point is, both are achieving their goals. If you can recognise that your goal is relevant to you, it does not matter what other people are doing. If you have zero desire to run a marathon, then you are not playing it small. If you are motivated to achieve running a marathon. Then good luck to you.

It does not always need to be about the outcome.

The principles to follow in terms of goal setting can be fairly replicable.

So here goes with a basic template:

Identify YOUR goals

This might seem like a fucking obvious start. However, ask yourself honestly, are you trying to achieve this goal for YOU or for someone else. Are you trying to achieve this for personal fulfilment, outside recognition, or through external matters. I know that I have set many goals in the past to try and prove something.

But, as an obvious example. The student who goes to medical school because he was pushed by his parents. That is not their goal. The resulting outcome will be feelings of unfulfillment.

Why do you want to achieve this goal?

This also helps with the above. Understanding why you want to achieve your goal is going to help you remain motivated to achieve it. In my first book I wrote a chapter called ‘find your why’ inspired by the author Simon Sinek. I believe at a basic level, understanding why you want to achieve something is critical to seeing it through. It has to be relevant to you. There is no right and wrong.

There is a technique known as ‘the five whys’ it is a brilliantly simple approach to getting to core of an issue. It starts with a statement, followed by the question ’why.' Once we have answered this, we ask ‘why’ five times until we get to the heart of the issue. It can be great if you want to go a bit deeper, and it is great for doing the the 'inner work'.

Choose your most important goals (or the one you feel will bring you the most positive impact).

Goal expert Brian Tracy, in his book Flight Plan, talks about his guaranteed success formula for achieving goals. He says to write down ten goals and identify one goal on the list that would have the greatest positive impact on your life.

A goal that is “your primary goal, and your most important destination for the next leg of your life’s journey.”

Formerly, I would be the person writing down ten goals and then bouncing between them.

The problem is we only have so much energy and focus. I would get pulled in many directions which makes it hard to accomplish one goal efficiently. Start with ONE l goal which you feel will have a great impact personally. Choose this.

Break your goals down

Breaking down goals is a very simple way to work towards your goals.

“I want to write a book”. VS “I am going to write a chapter every single week”

Which one sounds easier?

The same goes with a marathon.

"I want to run a marathon" VS "I am going to run 5k every week for 4 x weeks"

In time, with some good coaching, the 5k runner can become the marathon runner. BUT, if you don't want to become a marathon runner and you want to stick to your 5k for the rest of your life. There is NOTHING wrong with this either.

I exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't need to shout about it or utilise it as a means of 'proving' I am who I say I am.

I exercise (or 'move') because it makes me fucking feel good. Its that simple.

Some days its as small a 50 - 100 press ups, other days its a long run or hard gym session. However, I train every day without fail. Its good for ME.

Take action

You can plan until your fingers bleed. You can create grand visions. Start now. Be shit. Get better. If you discover its not for you, then change course. There is no end line.

The reason I believe in setting goals now, is not because there has to be a huge outcome at the end of it. Its because it gives you direction. It gives you something to work towards. I am not disregarding goal setting. I love it. However, I want people to realise the value in goal setting as a means of benefiting THEIR lives, not because everyone is saying you have to do it and that you have to prove yourself.

Don’t admire the pass

When I was a kid playing football in my younger days I had this trait where I would spray an absolutely world beating pass (in my honest but humble opinion) and then I would stand and admire the pass for a brief moment. Where I could have been moving on with the flow of play. Now I am not disregarding self-reflection and acknowledging wins (it serves a purpose). However, if you achieve your goal, go through the reflective process and then think about what direction you want to go next. Many moments in life, I have achieved the ‘is this it’ feeling when achieving a goal. I come to anticipate this now, knowing that when I reach a milestone, the fleeting moments will only be short lived. So rather than admiring the pass, I think about the next part of the journey that is going to bring me the most positive impact and reset. There is no point living in the past.

I only use them examples of fitness feats to explain the examples. As far as I am concerned they are gone now.

However, when I think about my field I work in.

I need to keep setting goals to improve and get better.

This does not happen overnight.

As a coach, am I better than I was 12 months ago? Yes.

Can I get a lot better? Yes.

Think about yourself, where do you want to make some small improvements?

Changing my outlook on goal setting...

As you will see from this above text, I have shifted my outlook towards goal setting quite a lot.

I used to think that goal setting was all about the OUTCOME only. To say we have achieved this.

When I first started a business, In truth, I thought I wanted to build an empire. However, the fundamental truth is, I was always working towards achieving the goal of doing something I was interested in. My goal was to not be in a job that made me want to pull my own eyes out with pins. I have achieved this. Now I keep learning.

My values have changed a lot over the course of the last year. I enjoy what I do, but I am not driven to build something huge if it means sacrificing my whole life in the process.

As much as I like coaching, making journals, and talking about self-help. I also LOVE camping, I enjoy training, I like long beach walks, I love going on holiday, going for food with friends. I love doing things outside of work too.

There is nothing the matter with people who become obsessed with their businesses and building something huge. I wish them luck. But, I have realised that this relentlessness is not something that I want personally. This is my personal values.

'Goalodicy'

To finish on this, I am going to discuss the concept of 'Goalodicy' which is said to be:

"The obsessive pursuit of goals to the point of self-destruction"

In my relentless obsession of scouring self-help I came across Chris Kayes title ‘Destructive Goal Pursuit: The Mount Everest Disaster’ and a terminology known as ‘goalodicy.’

In 1996, a team of goal-driven climbers continued to the peak of Everest against the wishes of the meteorologists at Basecamp. The weather was simply too dangerous. But the goal of reaching the top was greater than the journey and experience of climbing, so they carried on. The next day, they were dead. This is a brief description, but it has become the study of many psychologists and sociologists.

In the corporate world, organisations can become focused on achieving goals at all costs. This may result in foul play at times.

From a personal standpoint, I can think in the past where I have stopped taking care of myself and my wellbeing (whilst ironically trying to teach about wellbeing!), leading to some personal ‘self-destruction’ in pursuit of my personal goals in my career.

Whilst, some time ago I would have worn my hard work and sacrifice like some badge of honour, I have now I come to the realisation that there are significantly more important things to me in my life now.

I love what I do, I still have goals and dreams, I still work hard, but if I don’t get ‘there’ any more because I failed to lock myself in my office to ‘grind’, well quite frankly that does not bother me in the slightest anymore. It is what it is.

I am not disregarding goal setting, I love it. However, really take the time to question your goals, why are you trying to achieve them? Who are you doing them for? What are you prepared to sacrifice?

P.S - I am obviously going to drop in a sales bomb. If you want some support with your goal setting within your organisation, why not reaching out to us to see how our products could help support you break down your goals. They are also filled with coaching tools to help people proactively support themselves on their own journeys. Oh, and I coach on them, and as you can see my approach is a little bit different.

Any questions regarding goal setting, then please reach out for a chat!