16- Follow Lewis & Clark: Goal Setting
Goal setting can be a stressful and challenging task if you don’t know what you want or where to start. Achieving your goals can be as easy, or as complicated, as you want it to be. In this blog, I will share a few of my notes on achieving goals.
The three most important considerations in setting and achieving your goals are alignment of day-to-day tasks, focus on the goal, and a strong support system to help you link the two.
Consider the goal of the famous explorer duo Lewis and Clark- to explore the western part of what would become the United States of America. After purchasing the land from France, President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark out on an extraordinary expedition. Their goal was to map the new land and find a transcontinental water route. While this may seem easy in today’s age of technology, in 1804, Lewis and Clark had to rely on their skills and the help of others to accomplish this goal. The Lewis and Clark Diaries provides numerous examples of how their seemingly unrealistic task goal was accomplished by dividing it into manageable pieces such as taking compass bearings on the Mississippi river. The diaries go on to discuss day-to-day task such as hunting and information gathering from both American settlers and Indians. Throughout their journey they had a strong support system including Thomas Jefferson who ensured they had enough funding, soldiers that were part of the expedition, and the countless strangers they met that helped them by trading food and information. In the end, they mapped much of the area, confirmed there was not a transcontinental water route, and became so famous that over 200 years later they are remembered in words, books, movies, and even postage stamps. They were only able to do this by taking their goal, breaking it down into manageable tasks, and by both seeking out and accepting incredible support.
In order to accomplish your goal you need to clearly define your goal, consider intermediate tasks, and be open to support. Without all three, you are significantly less likely to achieve your goal.
Your Goal
Perhaps your goal is to publish a journal article and present a lecture to your peers. While your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely), which you can read more about here – it is also important for them to be meaningful to you. Ask yourself why this goal is important to you. If you are not sure, spend time journaling or discussing it with others. The more personal the goal, the more likely you are to attain it, and the quicker you will do it. In the example above, you may want to publish a paper to further the state of current practice in your field, or to become a recognized expert with the goal of long-term career advancement. Once you have a goal in mind- Write it down.
Writing your goal down has many benefits- among them- when you write something down your brain process it differently. It is more likely to “stick.” It is a way for your conscious to connect your goal to your subconscious. Second, you will find that by having this increased awareness, the opportunities for others to help achieve your goal will be numerous. One of my favorite books is The Alchemist by Paolo Cohelo. He writes, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Tasks to help you achieve your goal
Checking compass headings, hunting, interviewing locals, etc. are the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that you set to break your goal into manageable pieces. While your end goal may be to publish a paper, the tasks you need to achieve may include research, writing, or collaboration, among others. By writing out the steps you need to achieve your goal, you will develop a process for success and goals often seem more manageable in smaller pieces.
Most “impossible” goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite size chunks, writing them down, believing them, and then going full speed ahead as if they were routine. – Don Lancaster
You should only complete a task if it intentionally moves you closer to your goal. Before starting any task, ask yourself, “Does this task move me closer to my goal?” If the answer is no, you need to re-evaluate and find a task you can spend time on that moves you closer to the goal.
Once you identify your tasks, spend some time figuring out which tools will enable you to achieve your goals sooner. If you needed wood for your to roast marshmallows at your campfire would you chop it by hand in “karate-chop” fashion, or would you use and ax, a chainsaw? The same theory applies here. Use tools that are appropriate for you and your goal. These tools may include making an old-fashioned schedule on a paper calendar, or setting up a more detailed task-loaded schedule with a system like smartsheet.com or joesgoals.com.
Your support system
Even if you are able to keep your eye on the goal while managing numerous forward-moving tasks, without a strong support system, your goals are less likely to be fully realized.
Don’t be afraid to ask someone else for help. The most successful people have a strong support system comprised of friends, family, and co-workers that each have different backgrounds and personalities to help them achieve their goals. As Lewis and Clark found on their journey, guidance is available in many forms, you just have to look for it and accept it when it’s offered.
I recommend finding a Goal Coach. This can be someone who has already accomplished a similar goal, someone who is striving for a similar goal, and ask them if they would be willing to be your goal advocate. This could be someone at your office, a classmate, or even someone outside of you industry. By enlisting help from someone else, you will gain support and they can help hold you accountable. You will maximize the benefits of a Goal Coach by having an agreement with them about how you prefer to receive feedback (e.g., in writing, over the phone, in person) and how often you will review your progress.
By identifying you goals, focusing on deliberate tasks to achieve them, and seeking out support from others, you will skyrocket to success.
What goal are you currently working to achieve?
