"TIPs & QUIPs" Archive

Subject: Lifescope TIPs & QUIPs [07] "More than Goal Setting"

TIPs & QUIPs, the free occasional email of helpful hints and quotes (and
sometimes challenging suggestions) for getting the most from life.

In this issue:
     *** WiseWords
     *** This Issue's Theme
     *** Suggested Resources
     *** Thrive On! Recommended Site

*** WiseWords ***
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"Goals are dreams with a deadline."
  --Brian Tracy

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; 
 that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
  --Henry David Thoreau

"The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators."
  --Edward Gibbon

"Goals are consumable; Purpose is permanent."
  --Kevin McCarthy

"Some men see things as they are, and say, 'Why?' 
 I dream of things that never were, and say 'Why not?'"
  --George Bernard Shaw

(For a collection of some of our favorite WiseWords, see our web page at
<http://www.lifescope.com/pages/WiseWords.html>.)


*** This issue's theme:  M O R E  T H A N  G O A L  S E T T I N G
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While 'goal setting' is a very valuable and pertinent skill to revisit this
time of year, it is just one part in the process of getting what you want.
Good goal setting does not take place in a vacuum. To be most effective (and
most motivating), you must know how your objectives fit into the larger
scheme of things.

This week, we introduce a process which spans a broader scope to bring about
the desired result: attainment of goals which you know to be best for you. To
paraphrase Stephen Covey: "We sometimes invest much time and effort climbing
the ladder -- only to find that it's leaning against the wrong wall."

We often travel the road of life without a specific destination (goal) or
direction (plan). And since we don't know where we're going, we don't make a
point of finding out where we are -- we don't stop to ask and the map remains
locked in the glovebox. In rare cases, we may be happy just wandering, living
the gypsy life. But for most, that existence proves unsatisfactory.

To successfully plot a course of your life (be it career, financial,
romantic, or actual physical travel), a few things you'll need to do are:
   * Discover where you are;
   * Decide where you want to be, how you prefer to get there (mode of
     transport), and when you'd like to arrive;
   * Obtain or draw a map of the terrain you'll cover to get there, noting
     obstacles and conditions, and have a basic route planned for each phase
     of the journey. (You can save having a detailed plan for just before you
     start each particular leg. You'll be making adjustments along the way,
     anyway.)

Keep in mind, too, that it is perfectly plausible to decide that you just
want to explore the terrain -- that your enjoyment springs from the discovery. 
You don't necessarily need to know your final objective before you start to 
move, if you're prepared to spend the night by the side of the road. You may 
not be as efficient, but that is not the only criterion. Your destination then 
becomes not so much a tangible place as it is an emotional place, or process. 
As many wiser beings have said: It's not the destination -- it's the journey 
that counts.

All of that said, we come back to the basic unfortunate fact that few of us
make goal setting a priority. Studies show that most people either do not
know what they want from life or, if they do, they have no plans for getting
what they want. Only a small percentage of people have well-defined goals.
These are the people who most often reach their goals, because they write
them down and develop specific plans of action.

THE BROADER SCOPE 
Your goals don't just materialize out of thin air. Ideally, they are grown 
from (and are consistent with) your values, beliefs, desires, and your sense 
of purpose. If a GOAL is the specific 'What,' then PURPOSE is the 'Why' and 
VALUES are the 'How' -- the rules of conduct. A VISION comes into focus, 
providing a crystal-clear picture of the desired outcome. MISSION connects 
future to present, and moves one to create ways to realize the Vision. GOALS 
are the specific objectives, attainment of which make the Mission a success.

These components have a linked flow, one to another, which looks like this:

VALUES -> PURPOSE -> VISION -> MISSION -> GOALS -> ACTIONS -> REVIEW -> REVISE

You might visualize a target, with 'Values' in the center as the bullseye,
and the rings representing subsequent steps. As in constructing a house, each
step builds on the step preceding it.

Each of these components really deserves a discussion of its own, and volumes
have indeed been written about each. But since this is just an introduction
to the bigger concept, we'll break it in two parts to make it more easily
digestible, and cover the other half next week.

Because the actual activity of goal setting and tracking is the skill most
repeated, we'll cover it first.

GOAL SETTING, GOAL TRACKING, GOAL ATTAINMENT 
(GOALS -> ACTIONS -> REVIEW -> REVISE)
The most useful shorthand I've found is the acronym S.M.A.R.T., put forward 
by the Franklin Covey folks. It covers most of the components nicely.

S.M.A.R.T. GOALS are:
   Specific -- Define precisely the objective or outcome you want.
   Measurable -- Define objectively how you will know when you've attained it.
   Action-oriented -- Use action verbs to describe the steps required.
   Realistic -- Confirm your belief that the goal is indeed possible.
   Timely -- Set a deadline for reaching your goal. What is your ETA?

To these I would add:
   Congruent -- Your goal must not conflict with another goal, and must be
                 consistent with each and every of your values, purpose, vision
                 and mission. Otherwise difficulty will ensue.
   Humane -- Your goal must not do another person harm. Don't forget about
                 being kind, caring, and compassionate. The end does not
                 justify the means.

So, that would change the acronym to 'SCHMART'. (Okay, it's a stretch I admit, 
but it works.)

Goals are achieved only through action. Goal achievement is ensured via the
repeating cycle of the three action elements:

   1) ACTION Items -- You've planned your work, now work your plan. The
unambiguous 'who, what, when, where, how, and how much' definitions of
specific tasks. Physical activity starts the process moving; and be sure to
complete each small step you're taking.
   2) REVIEW Results -- On specific dates, monitor progress by comparing your
plan with actual measured results. Don't deceive yourself. Check expected
results against what's really real.
   3) REVISE Tactics -- Adapt when change is indicated. Don't revise the goal
yet; change only the means to achieving the goal -- the tactics. Determine
what works and what doesn't. Implement the revised plan (starts the cycle
again).

And that's all there is to it, really. That, and developing the habit to do
it regularly. Fortunately, it's self-reinforcing, and results come quickly.
The more you do it, the more you want to. Here's where a good time management
system pays off. And if we continued the discussion from here, the next topic
would indeed be time management -- the ongoing process of guiding your
actions by priority to accomplish your goals. But that is definitely too much
to cover in this week's issue.


*** Suggested Resources ***
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Goals: How to Set & Achieve Them
If you have dreams, you need goals. On this audio, master motivator and 
storyteller Zig Ziglar presents a dynamic seven-step formula for clearly 
defining and fulfilling your goals. Using humorous and inspiring anecdotes 
from sports, business, and science, he demonstrates how to develop a set of 
written goals, understand your motives, identify the resources you need, 
and develop a concrete plan of action to achieve them on schedule.
     (2 audiotapes, 2 hrs) Item# H3140-AT
          SRP$16.00  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com or Amazon.com.


A Goal Is a Dream With a Deadline
Card catalog description: As a teacher, Leo Helzel dedicated his life to
showing others, especially young people, how to make their dreams of success
come true, as many of his have. One of the best ways to help people achieve
their goals, he discovered, was with brevity and humor. So he gathered the
hundreds of aphorisms in this book to benefit others yearning to succeed in
business. These pithy sayings from Leo and his friends - who include the CEOs
of the Gap, Bank of America, and Williams-Sonoma - capture the wisdom and
know-how of successful entrepreneurship. Often homey, always savvy, these
sayings and hundreds like them form the heart of Leo Helzel and friends'
message. Reaching beyond the fast-paced entrepreneurial life, they have
something to say to the heart of every person who dreams of success.
     (hardcover book, 176pp) Item# C3303-BK
          SRP$12.95  (see link for special price)
        Buy this item online now at Lifescope.com or Amazon.com.


In Control(tm) v3.0 Organizer and Planner Software
Far superior to ordinary calendar programs, In Control helps you organize
your life from the loftiest goals to the smallest details. It contains a
multi-column Action Outliner, full-featured calendar, and daily to-do list.
You can organize your tasks however you wish; check your progress against
weekly or monthly calendars; add information quickly and easily; print to-do
lists, priority lists, outlines, agendas, shopping lists, status reports, and
pages to fit your Day Runner(R), Day-Timers(R), Franklin Planner, or
Filofax(R).
     (Mac software on 3.5 disk) Item# H2177-SM
          SRP$129.95  (see link for special price)
     [sorry, no longer available]

The above titles are available and in stock at Lifescope. 
   To order RISK-FREE*: visit our online store, and place a secure order 
   with your credit card, or call 800-WIN-LIFE (800-946-5433, 24 hrs).
   *Your satisfaction is assured with our 60-day RISK-FREE Guarantee!


*** Thrive On!  Recommended Site ***
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World Peace One <http://trfn.pgh.pa.us/orgs/wp1/> 
WP1's mission is to help people look at their lifestyles and make changes 
that improve the quality of life for all -- both the individual person and 
the world as a collective. Founder Tim Cimino has, via great personal 
initiative, evolved his Goal & Growth Groups for personal development into 
a platform promoting mutually sustainable life on Earth. If you think that 
our planet is going to hell in a handbasket, then you might gain some hope 
and useful ideas for action from this site.

Two areas of WP1's site that we are particularly partial to, are: 
Lifestyle Tools -- Assessments, worksheets, and a variety of other tools for 
goal-attainment, personal growth, and making the world a better place; and
Action Steps -- Things you can do to improve your quality of life and the
state of the world.

Also be sure to check out 'The Twelve Projects Of World Peace One.' WP1's work
can perhaps be summed up as twelve projects in four areas: Three have to do
with your personal purpose and mission; six have to do with defining and
living a world-sustaining lifestyle; two projects have to do with increasing
your capacity to change so you can be more effective at sustainable,
purposeful living; and one project is that of empowering others in these
three areas.


DISCLAIMER
The contents herein are solely the opinions of Lifescope editors, and should 
not be considered as a form of therapy nor advice. There is no guarantee of 
validity or accuracy. Lifescope therefore assumes no responsibility for injury
and specifically disclaims any warranty, express or implied, of fitness or 
merchantability for a particular purpose. Besides, actual mileage may vary.

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Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter 
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