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Too often goal setting programs have the wrong focus. They spend inordinate amounts of time selecting the perfect goal, forming its content with exactness, and writing it up in a flowery mission statement form.
That's all fine and good, unless you forget that the focus is not on goal setting, but on goal completion.
The best goal or most honorable intention cannot survive poor execution. Goals never fail. Only implementation does. Unless you execute properly and remain focused until completion, the goal—and that means any goal—is absolutely irrelevant.
Did you get that? Absolutely irrelevant. Ouch.
That's a bit of tough love that might not be welcome to hear. When I think back on all the lofty goals that I was too lazy to accomplish, it puts the truth of this in the spotlight. All those episodes were an utter waste of time. As Gary Ryan Blair says:
My observation over time is that success is 10% vision—or what some might call “goal clarity”—and 90% execution.
Given that, how do you think your time should be apportioned? On goal vision or on goal execution?
When we forget implementation, we are stuck in the same rut as all the folks who sit on the couch eating chips, ordering P90X. Or the people who spend all day repinning craft ideas on Pinterest, but never actually make any of them. Or the people who spend days and days researching topics in books and on the internet, but never actually do anything.
So go ahead and set a remarkable, motivating goal. But remember that unless you get started right away on taking action steps toward completion, you're not doing any more than spinning your wheels.
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Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
Keep it coming. I’m learning so much in this series. Not so much about goal setting itself but about my inability to accomplish the things I dream of doing.
I’m doing THIS session of the 100 day challenge. (Any other P2B readers want to join me?) But this supplemental stuff is so helpful. It gives me more input and ideas on how to apply the lessons.