We've got goal setting all wrong

This idea that you’re about to read could have a greater impact on your life than anything else. It certainly did mine. 

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from my mentor is the importance of setting goals. Not just any goal. Not a goal you know how to achieve. I’m talking about a goal - a dream, a vision. Something you know is beyond your experience today.

The true purpose of a goal is not for getting; it’s for growing. To grow in your awareness of yourself and to draw out more of who you really are. It’s been said that change is inevitable, but personal growth is a choice.

So why do we have goals? You might want a new house, a new car, a new job or more money. If you know how to reach the goal, it’s probably the wrong goal – you’re going sideways. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go after it. But there’s no inspiration in going after something you’ve already done or even going after something you know you can do.

The type of goal setting I’m talking about goes beyond a stretch goal. It’s going after something you really, really want. It’s going after something you really want in the absence of knowing how. It’s taking the sales to a point that would shock the executives in your company. Today, right now, you will likely not know how to achieve the goal if it’s big enough.

This type of goal will cause you to draw on your imagination to bring it to life. To create some-thing from no-thing. To trust in the process of creation and do what you can from where you are with what you have. It’s moving from the competitive plane to the creative plane.

When Sir Edmund Hillary decided to summit Mt. Everest, he had no idea how. Anybody that tried died. In the face of a barrage of naysayers, he kept taking steps toward his vision. With each attempt, he made course corrections and adjustments that allowed him to progress ever closer to his goal. And on May 29, 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary became the first explorer to reach the highest point on earth.

The Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford. All were ridiculed for their ideas, yet they endeavored to live the life they imagined – to bring into form some-thing from no-thing. They kept their eyes on the prize.

I encourage you to sit down and ask yourself, “What do I really want?” If you had all the time, energy and resources in the world, what would you really, really want? Think about your want in terms of a personal want and/or a professional want. That becomes the star you’re shooting for. As you work towards your true north, you become more effective and the next step towards the goal is revealed. It really is that simple.

Don’t let conditions and circumstances drive you. Don’t worry about failure. Ignore the naysayers. It will toughen you up and get you ready for your BIG win!