I recently attended a webinar related to goal-setting.
Halfway in it occurred to me that pretty much everyone on the call already knew how to do that, and more. They knew how to spec out objectives, break them into tasks, track progress, and for the most part successfully execute their plans.
During a break I asked some of them how they learnt that. In school or through training, modelled by managers, absorbed from LinkedIn posts.
Naturally, my next question was, then why are you here, attending a webinar on goal setting?
The answers were telling. “I’m not making an impact.” “Every goal I hit is followed by another.” “I’m achieving things but they don’t feel meaningful.”
Nobody said they needed better goal-setting techniques. They were already good at that. What they hadn’t learnt was to ask: “What do I actually want?” (Not what their family expected. Not what would look good on their CV. Not what their industry said success should look like. What they wanted.)
We can get remarkably efficient at pursuing goals that don’t matter to us. The system we live in rewards us regardless. Set a goal, make a plan, execute, repeat. Teachers praise it, managers promote it, LinkedIn celebrates it.
We can spend years climbing to the top of the ladder, only to realise it’s leaning against the wrong wall.
As a coach, I help you recognize the order in these things. Before you optimise your next goal, ask yourself: is this what I want, or just what I think I’m supposed to want?
