Setting Better Goals In 5 Minutes.

"It's important to set goals you are not yet capable of accomplishing with your current skill set and mentality."

Story time.

I was meeting with one of my employees and I was helping her with her 1, 3, and 5 year visions. Once we finished, she said "Wow, I didn't realize I would be able to accomplish this in a few years. I thought it would take at least eight."

I replied, "You could do it in one, with more concerted effort." Her response was, "No way. Two maybe, but not one."

You see, she was modeling her thinking around what she has accomplished in the past, not what she will be able to accomplish in the future given new skill sets, confidence, and resources. This is most people's model of goal setting: what will challenge my current skills but is still exciting enough to dedicate effort to.

This is a trap people often fall into. For example...

Carrying past issues from old relationships into new ones and creating problems that didn't exist.

Business owners charging rates well below their value based on past skills vs. future demand and present quality of work.

Thinking you are naturally bad at something because you've never been shown a way that works for you, like mathematics (this was me).

But then I said...

"It's important to set goals you are not yet capable of accomplishing with your current skill set and mentality."

Growth is not accidental, it is not static, and it is certainly not based on current circumstances. It is purposeful and well thought out. Hear me right - you are not the person you need to be to accomplish the goals you have...if you're setting the right goals. But you could be.

Seeing the big picture and having a grand vision will offer you intrinsic accountability, and sharing those with others will provide extrinsic accountability. Dream big. Share those dreams. Inspire others.

"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision." - Helen Keller