Goal Setting is a Process

[biophase]

I was recently asked how I set my goals for the year. I wrote out an email and thought it would be interesting to post my thought process and why I think that many people set goals the wrong way.

I don't think the goals themselves motivate me. I've always been the type of person who makes a decision only when committed. I think most people state their goal just to say they have a goal.

In 2011 I made a goal of getting a Ferrari. What everyone saw was what MJ would call the "event" of setting a goal. I do have a process before the even so here it is.

First, I wouldn't make a goal of getting a Ferrari if I really didn't want one. To me, this was a goal that would motivate me and keep me motivated throughout the year.

Once I decided that I want one, I decided how I would go about getting it. In my case, I had to make $80-$100k more in 2011 in order to make myself feel ok about buying it.

Then I figured out how to get $80-$100k. I knew I had would to open some new stores, increase sales in my current ones. I won't go over those details, but there is a little more planning than just saying, "Ok, I'm going to open new stores and make $100k." That in itself is another whole process of business planning.

It is after all this thinking and planning that I would tell someone that my goal in 2011 is to get a Ferrari. Nobody hears about it until this point. Again, people only hear about the EVENT, the announcement of the goal.

If I went around making goals without thinking and telling everyone, I'll just sound like any dreamer kid who says I'm gonna get a Lambo next year. Haven't we heard that from many mouths before?

 

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[vitality11]

I was recently asked how I set my goals for the year. I wrote out an email and thought it would be interesting to post my thought process and why I think that many people set goals the wrong way.

I don't think the goals themselves motivate me. I've always been the type of person who makes a decision only when committed. I think most people state their goal just to say they have a goal.
a
In 2011 I made a goal of getting a Ferrari. What everyone saw was what MJ would call the "event" of setting a goal. I do have a process before the even so here it is.

First, I wouldn't make a goal of getting a Ferrari if I really didn't want one. To me, this was a goal that would motivate me and keep me motivated throughout the year.

Once I decided that I want one, I decided how I would go about getting it. In my case, I had to make $80-$100k more in 2011 in order to make myself feel ok about buying it.

Then I figured out how to get $80-$100k. I knew I had would to open some new stores, increase sales in my current ones. I won't go over those details, but there is a little more planning than just saying, "Ok, I'm going to open new stores and make $100k." That in itself is another whole process of business planning.

It is after all this thinking and planning that I would tell someone that my goal in 2011 is to get a Ferrari. Nobody hears about it until this point. Again, people only hear about the EVENT, the announcement of the goal.

If I went around making goals without thinking and telling everyone, I'll just sound like any dreamer kid who says I'm gonna get a Lambo next year. Haven't we heard that from many mouths before?

That's great so you can have a goal about "you" getting a Ferrari, having passive income cover your expenses, etc.
That positive goal will keep you motivated to work hard at solving a problem/creating value for others.
I love it.