Friday, September 8th, 2006...12:34 am
“Does Goal Setting Really Work?”
Today, in a chatroom, a friend of mine from England by the name of Steve posed this question to me, and it got me to thinking. How can one insure that goal setting is effective?
One thing I can say for certain is that if we set goals, and then put them in a folder, and do not reference them for another six months to a year…they are obviously useless.
What can we do to keep our goals in front of us?
I would recommend that at least once every two months (though I do it once a month), make your goals a review item in the weekly review. This way we can periodically take an inventory of what we are doing to accomplish our goals. It is also the appropriate time to set up projects and next actions related to those goals.
The key is that we need a mechanism of some kind to help us keep the goals in our minds so we can consciously take actions to achieve those goals.
Another key element of this, that Steve and I did not touch on, is that we need to make sure that our actions are aligned with our goals. When we are doing our weekly review or planning actions for the day, we should be able to see how our actions ultimately push us toward our goals. Obviously, not all projects are goal related. But in the big picture (30,000 foot level), if the things we do fail to press us toward the goals we set, we need to reevaluate the things we do.
If you don’t already think of these things when you do your weekly reviews, try it…and let me know if it enhances your ability to achieve your goals.
Thanks, Steve, for challenging my thinking today.
- Jason
7 Comments
September 8th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I would like to respectfully disagree with your advice. In my opinion, goals are a completely different mode of thinking than that advocated by GTD. It is allowed but not inherently necessary. When I talk about goals, I am talking about something different than projects, and it sounds like you are also. By project, I think of something well defined that has concrete next steps that you review periodically (should be at least 1x/week IMHO). My experience with goals is that they are useful not for driving results in terms of setting up firm next actions and steering your day, but for setting intentions. I think that intentions are useful because they pull you toward your goals, and have a motivating effect. You know, touchy-feely stuff. Goals are soft stephen covey, not direct David Allen. And if you’re going to try and set an intention, to have your mind grab it, accept it, love it, and subliminally act on it, you need to set it firmly in place by focusing firmly on it every day for a while. Maybe a week, maybe a month. For at least 5 minutes each day. I know I sound like a Witch Doctor right now but I’m serious; I think this is the only way to effectively use goals. But feel free to ignore it because my other beef with you advice is…
Goals are more often destructive than helpful. Most people set overly ambitious goals, and lots of them, and miss most goals, and feel like garbage afterward. I think goals are a bad paradigm. Part of the beauty of GTD is that it exchews goals in favor of actions. And that’s a good thing because goals are not cool. They are prone to betray us, and to use them effectively demands certain strange behaviors (see above). Stick with projects unless you are really sure of yourself. You think it’s a goal, but I’ll bet it would be a great project, with Objectives and principles, brainstorming, and good times with your to-do list.
September 10th, 2006 at 12:30 am
I agree with you to an extent, Karl. I completely agree that goals are to guide us. However, I think that it eventually translates into projects and actions. If a goal does not at some level translate to projects and actions, it is useless. I am talking 30 to 50,000 foot level stuff. And yes, it is not inherently GTD. GTD IMHO does a good job at dealing at things below those levels. But goals at the 30,000 foot level has to at some point translate to projects and actions at the 10,000 foot and runway levels.
On the whole concept of goal setting. I can understand your thinking. However, I see that problem as more of an issue with an inability to properly set goals. If we set goals too lofty, of course we will fail, in large part, because we did not properly think through the projects and next actions to get there. Clint Eastwood once said in a movie that a man must know his limitations. I can come up with a goal to become George Bush’s successor as President (only for the sake of argument). But if I do not have a plan or any idea how I plan to get there, I am destined to fail. Don’t worry guys, if I ran I would never get elected. I am too much of a Libertarian at heart (sans the desire to legalize dope).
My point is this, if one consistently has problems coming short of goals that they have set, I would say that he or she needs to reevaluate how they set goals.
Is my overall goal doable?
Do I have a plan that can be translated to doable projects and actions?
It is kind of like me (a fat, out of shape man) going to the gym each day, and working out with no guiding idea of where I want to go with it or what I am really trying to accomplish. I just have this N/A that tells me I need to go to the gym.
There has to be a guiding principle that is my beacon to look to. Yes, I have projects and actions, but I have that goal that helps guide me and keep me accountable to the actions I am taking.
September 10th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Sure, I think we’re on the same page. You elaborate very well on why goals can be problematic. As for projects and actions flowing from them, I think that is a consequence of a properly set intention. Of course if no action comes of the goal it is definitely useless.
I just have so much respect for GTD because it underscores the need to do the work at the lower levels first, and then to come up with good goals after the lower levels are in order. I think to go at it from the top down is going to be a recipe for frustration. Maybe we disagree on that point. And I think that top-down is why so many goals are not well thought out, and are unrealistic.
Anyway, thanks for the post. Definitely got me thinking. I may have a more thorough retort on my blog sometime in the future.
September 13th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Karl,
I agree completely that GTD works best from the bottom-up. If you do not have a trusted system as a foundation for processing your actions, then achieving goals is a crap shoot. On that point I agree with you completely. In fact, I do not have the book in front of me or I would look it up, but I think David actually addresses this in GTD.
The goals are the last piece of the puzzle. Without the trusted system as your foundation, it becomes very difficult to properly manage your goals. Part of the problem is that some set goals first, with no plan on managing the actions needed to achieve those goals. This is a recipie for failure.
You are on the money with that analysis IMO.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
I actually think that the entire process is somewhat a personal preference and can work either way. Some individuals know exactly where they want to go, what they want to accomplish, and have a clear vision on the major steps needed to get there. Those are the ones that can establish life goals at the 30-50K ft. level and work a nice and neat pyramid of lower tiered goals that works together. Others may have only a vague idea of their life goals, and only see a loose connection between the levels. Clarity of one’s place in life comes to each at different ages in their life. Some see it early; others late (or never). But the beauty of GTD is that it works at the lowest actionable level all the time, every time: what is the next step, in what context using what resources. So I contend that both Karl and Jason are correct with their assertions. People will ebb and flow thru their careers and lives relative to their goals. It is nice when we see how the goals are supported by our actions, but not necessary to be a productive cog in the wheel of life. Some people can live without knowing their place in this world just fine. And others cannot rest until they know. And still others move thru both states over time. Which one are you?
October 8th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
[...] This line of thinking came about as I was haggling with another productivity blogger about the role of goals. I realized that goals definitely fall outside of the realm of productivtiy that I usually operate in. I tend to deal with systems, tasks, projects, feedback, etc. Goals are completely unnecessary for this mode of productivity. That got me thinking about what use goals were, since they have been a cornerstone of personal development for centuries. I realized that there is another side of the coin that I have only briefly touched on in my quest for superior productivity. [...]
November 11th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Great discussion from everyone. The role of goals is the distinguishing factor for me in the two prevailing time management philosophies.
It does make me wonder about the role that personality has in which system works best for each individual. I’ve combined the two to tailor it to my personality. Generally, I’m a top-down thinker, so, I tend toward the Covey philosophy in setting lofy goals, then, breaking them down into manageable parts.
However, GTD provides the missing ingredient, which is moving things forward. The next action concept is the best technique that I’ve ever found for me to break the procrastination habit.
The way that I use goals is to align who I am with what I do. Since I also lean toward creativity not having goals leads me into areas that, while enjoyable, don’t get me closer to where I want to be. The trick is not to be so rigid that I miss opportunities that would change my goals in a positive way. There’s something to be said for balance.
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