A General Theory of Goal-Setting

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates

Introduction: As with most general theories, the basics are simple and applicable. I don't know what you want in life, but this is the skeleton of how you can go about achieving it. We will first outline the general ideas and then review each basic concept individually.

General Terms
Direction: A direction is not achievable because it is not measurable. It is a statement about what matters to you, and what you'd like to do generally. Most people have no trouble creating directions, but they erroneously call them goals. Examples of common directions include:
· Get into shape
· Be happy
· Get married
· Get rich
· Enjoy my job more

If you could completely accomplish, completely, a direction, then it wasn't a direction to begin with. For example, how can one "get rich?" How much money does one need to be rich? $10,000? $100,000? $1,000,000? Getting rich means different things to different people.
There is a lot of value in directions. Often, directions are general, overarching statements that define very long term beliefs and dreams. There is nothing wrong with "Keep in excellent physical shape." In fact, it's very important. But it ain't a goal.

Goal: A goal is something you want to achieve in the future. The word "goal" has been distorted a bit in the past, so let's be very clear:

Goals MUST:
Be Specific: A goal must be such that it can be achieved.Be Measurable: A goal must be quantitatively assessed.Have a Deadline: A goal must be "failable".

GOALS SHOULD:
Be Written: The affirmation one receives from taking the goal outside of your mind and onto paper (or cyberspace) gives it extra power. Also paper is more accurate than the mind.5Be Believable: People rarely try things they don't think they can do.

GOAL NEED NOT:
Be Challenging: In fact, "easy" goals are best in the beginning.

GOALS MAY:
Be One-time: "Join a gym."Be Recurring: "Go to the gym Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."

Paul J. Meyer published a book titled "Attitude Is Everything" in which he states that goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible (SMART). Well that's a great acronym, and many people use this as a definition, so if it helps, that's great. Sometimes good things don't have a great acronym, and if you can find one in my general theory, let me know.
How many goals should one set? Some people like to pick nice round numbers like 100 or 43 for a number of goals. Notice that magazines of a certain quality use quantitative titles like, "15 ways to lose fat", "20 tips to be a better spouse", and "3.14 ways to ask for a raise". I think numbers make it sound more authoritative, but also it gives people something they like in setting goals, which is measurability, as discussed above.

I find all that hokey, and in the end certainly damaging. Suppose you are told to set 100 goals. What if you can only find 90? Do you set 10 goals that aren't really goals? Doing so would damage the respect and seriousness of your 90 goals, and would obviously dilute the time you can dedicate to the real 90. What if you want to set 110? Do you just blow off those 10? And which 10 would you blow off? Some people tell me that the spirit of setting these high numbers of goals is in doing deep soul searching and finding every little goal in one's heart. I applaud that, totally. However, to me it smacks of mania.

Look at it this way: Thomas Jefferson himself only put three accomplishments on his gravestone: Author of the Declaration of Independence, Author of the Statute for Virginia, and Father of the University of Virginia. (Jefferson only wanted his grave to mention that which he did for others, rather than what people had done for him, which is why he didn't mention that he was Vice President and President of the United States.) My advice is to not number your goals, any more than you would number your children or your dollar bills. Avoid putting numbers where they don't belong.

The best goals have five important parts:
EXAMPLE #1 WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
1) Deadline By next Wednesday Creates urgency
2) Entity I Establishes accountability
3) Action will read States key skill
4) Criterion "1984" Sets accomplishment
5) Condition up to Chapter 4. Frames accomplishment

Try to set all your goals in this type of framework. Not only will you understand your goals better, but you'll feel more pride when you acheive them.

Milestones: The Milestone is the marker, just as they were on roads in Roman times. Milestones provide a much-needed assurance that you are not lost, you are on the right track, and that you are moving toward your goal. But beware, although one can "do" a milestone, they are not goals. Instead, they are welcome signs that you are moving toward your goal.
Milestones serve a vital purpose, particularly as your goals become more ambitious. Milestones should be seen as goals that often one pursues parallel paths toward a goal. For example, the goal of running the marathon might include milestones for sprint times and others for the lengths of the long runs. Pursuing, for example, first faster sprints, and then, after achieving that "goal," pursuing long runs would be highly ineffective at achieving the true goal of running the marathon.

Examples of Milestones might include:
· Run a 5km without getting a cramp
· Pass Real Estate Broker test
· Apply to five colleges
· Update resume

Please note that Milestones can look like goals, but they aren't. They are markers on the road to goals, involving in the examples, running marathons, becoming a Real Estate Broker, going to college, or getting a new job.

Tasks: The shift from Milestones to Tasks is the magic....that's where you go from future abstractions to the here-and-now. So often we see goals like "Become a millionaire", which may translate into a Milestone like "get new job", but if it never translates into "create a monthly budget", "invest savings", or "update resume" (each are tasks), then it's a waste of time. Accomplishing a set of tasks is what you must do to get to the next milestone. If a task proves too difficult, or if you are getting discouraged with a task, then it is probably a milestone, and not a task; break it down further.

To summarize the key components of our theory:
A direction is never acheivable. Consider it part of your life's mission statement.A goal is a place. A goal answers the question: What specifically do I want?A milestone is a marker on the road to that place. A milestone answers the question: Am I on the right track?A task is one specific and definable action. A task answers the question: What specifically can I do now?

KIS,S

I hope this site is helpful in providing a clear and followable path for you, without the fluffy and preachy 256 (Think and Grow Rich!) to 544 (Awaken the Giant Within) page self help books that really don't seem to say much more.

That said, I recommend any book that you think would work for you. I've read many of them (not most; there are thousands), and often I get a better understanding of things generally.

There is no one path in life, but there are generally trodden areas in the field that you should be familiar with before you start bushwhacking.

Let me know how things go.

My goal for this site

Although the idea of goal setting, self-help, etc. is not a new one, and is generally common sense; most people seem to need to hear it, and often hear it repeatedly. I have made a conscious decision to avoid psychobabble, wishy-washy, touchy-feely tripe, and sis-boom-bah cheerleading. I don’t want these ideas ignored and on your bookshelf, but rather folded up, in your pocket, well-inked, and put to use.

This is a short article with small words because it doesn't need to be a long article with big words.

About Me

I have been thinking about goal setting and self-improvement for about 20 years, and want to distill their vital aspects for you. I learned about goal setting the hard way, and never thought about even the possibility of improving myself until I was 18. At the time, my goals reflected a typical teenaged mentality, such as "cut hair,", "get a better job," "clean car," etc. In retrospect, I think that was a huge advantage compared to someone who created complex, multilayered goals, because I didn't have heavy emotional baggage attached to goals. They were light, simple, and certainly made me feel great.

As I aged, of course, the initial tasks grew more difficult for various reasons, so I attempted to fit each difficulty into general mechanisms which would remain the same, and in doing so learned the hard way whether it worked or not.

I've done a bunch of things in my life, none of which imbue me with immortality, but I'm pretty happy with things. I remain a list maker and a goal setter. This site is dedicated to the world, which will be a better place if you choose to follow it.

And miles to go before I sleep

1) I need to focus more. I am soooo much better at making plans, setting goals, and managing others than actually doing it myself. Somethings that are set in stone, like work, lifting, giving blood, training, etc. are OK, but things like meditate, write more, learn to paint, just aren't going anywhere. (I've had "learn to paint" as a goal since 1994.)

2) I really need to be more consistent with time. I know I have these bursts of productivity, where I am literally a multi-tasking hyper-productive maniac, but that's only 5% of the time. 95% of the time is far more sedentary and frankly lazy. I don't want to lose the 5%, but if I could be even moderately productive for even 50% of the remaining time, it would be better.

3) I feel disorganized. I don't feel as "tight" as I used to me. Things are getting done, but I don't have the "it's 5pm on Saturday and I have all my errands done, the house is clean, and now I can just focus on one or two things" feeling like I used to have.

What your business idea really needs

The biggest issue in business is finding the right people to talk to and/or work with.

My first business was begun when I was 12 (landscaping; had like 5 customers), and then at 14 I started collecting recyclables (aluminum, steel, copper, etc). I never made a ton of money, but learned a lot in the process, both in terms of the math (profit, hourly income, etc.) and interpersonally (getting customers, working with friends, etc.) I learned even way back then to avoid negative, lazy, and scattered people, mostly the hard way.

I always found myself being the more excited, harder working, and more dedicated in any partnership, and it was pretty heartbreaking. This ended up becoming a major force in shaping my personality, honestly. The lesson learned for me was that entrepreneurs can't afford to work with the "wrong" people, no matter how good the idea is.

What I'm up to

I don't have any"long term" plans.

One of my biggest strengths, and biggest weaknesses, is that I do not have a single goal both in terms of career and education. This is a strength because I am not tied to any particular path, or even a particular direction. I've gone from construction to banking to teaching to running a school, and I've been able to apply ideas, principles, and knowledge from my past experiences to whatever I'm working on at the moment. It's also a weakness because I don't have any specialized set of skills, or an advanced degree in any one area. Deep down I believe I'm cursed with the desire to be Master of all Trades, rather than just a Jack. I think I realize, deep down, that I'm not "great" at anything. I have no great talent in painting, music, writing, math, etc. This is an extreme advantage! God has given me the talent of learning how to get good at areas in which I have no talent! Thus, I've learned general principles for self-improvement that I apply to painting, guitar, work, exercise, and anything else I do. Thus I have never felt "I was put onto this earth" to do something. The very thought of doing One Thing makes me nervous, because I accurately believe I could never do One Thing really, really well.

I really love education. I love having been educated, and also educating others. I now have the added benefit of learning how to run a $2 million business, which will grow to a $5 million business in about 3 years. I've learned so much about the legal, financial, and regulatory aspects of running a business, and more importantly I've become better at hiring, managing, and ultimately inspiring people on my staff.

I'm very interested in alternative energy, both the the environmental benefits but more importantly for the positive effects on America's foreign policy. I can't stand to see American soldiers dying in some backward desert 8,000 miles away, just because people need to drive big cars. If we had wind farms, solar stations, etc., we could drastically reduce (actually eliminate) our need to be over there.

I'm also very devoted to entrepreneurialism. I've been writing a couple business plans. One is to start a tea shop here in NY. I've helped a friend on starting a high-quality ice cream business. I hope she is able to make it happen!

I've also got less career-minded goals that frankly consume more of my thoughts. I've started writing a memoir. Highly motivated by having read Gandhi's autobiography, I stopped eating meat and now take cold showers only. I still lift weights, run, and do martial arts. I'm taking Japanese lessons. I still play the guitar for about 30 minutes a day. I have been dreaming about writing a textbook that successfully merges economic concepts (supply, demand, etc.) and education. There is a field called Educational Economics, but it doesn't exist in the US. I'd love to write a book about the community college I attended, and now is the time.

As you can see, I'm a bit of a tortured soul because I'm overrun with ideas that deep down I think are good ones. My conundrum is figuring out if (a) I have the ability to do them and if (b) I know how to start doing them.

First article

The best place to start is the beginning.

Welcome to my blog. My goal is to provide, in Franklin's words, a club of mutual improvement".