Setting Goals - 6. Nickname

One of the most memorable events in President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's short three year career was linked to a goal he set within four months of?coming into office in May 1961.?As the 35th United States of America's President one of his initial goals was the following. "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth."?Within the decade his dream become a reality!?

Before his concise statement was made, NASA had sent the same message in what they call a NASA Long Range Plan which spanned the period 1960 to 1970.?Their plan was 14 times longer and listed nine national objectives in just under 500 words!??

When plans and goals are complicated and not easy to remember they tend to get lost in all the detail.?Kennedy's statement was simple enough for everyone to understand. Many people, even in South Africa, can remember that goal. Kennedy's name was also easy to remember. His nicknames were Jack or JFK.

When you set your goals for the new year, are they easy to remember??Are they like the NASA plan so long and drawn out that you need to read the goals each day to understand what you wanted to do.?JFK's goal to "put a man on the moon" was so clear that everyone on the project knew why they were working and the expected outcome.

During my corporate career, which spanned 25 years, I ran many projects and was involved in many more.?I was taught early on to give any project a name.?This "nickname" personified the project and made it far more realistic and tangible. You may be the only person working on your goals for 2023; that makes no difference - give it an easy name to remember.

We know that for a goal to be effective it needs to be filled with very specific detail.?Don't misunderstand me;?I am not suggesting that we take out the detail, we still need specifics.?I will deal with that part of the goal in the next article! My proposal is that you summarise your project so that it has an easy-to-remember name which is affectionate, easy to memorise, visualise and realise.

The sixth letter in Setting Goals is the letter N for Nickname.

1. Nickname

People give each other a nickname as a sign of affection.?We need to treat our projects and goals in the same way.?As soon as we can affectionately refer to our goals they become a part of us.?Like the goal to land a man on the moon we will achieve them!??Whether you want to land a man on the moon or make a goal for 2023 come true, give them easy-to-remember nicknames or easy-to-remember phrases and you too will achieve your goals.

Call to Action

Review your current and future goals.?Is there a simpler way of putting them??Are they exciting and do they have an emotional link to you? If you shared them with others, would they also be excited??Find ways to simplify the concept so that you can easily remember them.?

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On the 20th of July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on the moon.?They did so "before the decade was out" as declared by JFK in his goal for America. He was unable to see his goal and dream become a reality as he was assassinated in 1963; however, that goal was so strong that it lived on long after his death.

In the next article we look at how we can add detail to our goals by making them SMART.