Eliminate lifelong goals and get more done

What I am about to propose probably flies in the face of what the vast majority of life coaches teach, but it has merit by my own personal experience. I invite you to consider applying some of these principles to your own life and judge for yourself.

If you have been in small business long enough, then you might be familiar with the acronym BHAG (Bee-hag). The BHAG is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, which is “…an audacious 10-to-30 year goal to progress towards an envisioned future.” The concept is the brainchild of James Collins and Jerry Porras, and was first introduced in their 1996 article entitled Building Your Company’s Vision.

The BHAG works wonderfully for a company that needs a driving initiative, and has control over multiple variables that affect its very existence. These audacious goals are built very specifically around expertise, passion and typically an insider’s view of a market that others might not possess. Strategy and purpose are all derivatives of knowledge already acquired (or soon to be acquired).

In life though, we know this is often not true. We are personally more affected by extenuating circumstances and outside influences than a corporation that relies on breadth as a method of sustainability. Get in more markets, get more talent, and get more exposure drives the business. When you are an individual, getting more is not an option. You can only do what you can, and then let the prevailing winds blow.

This can cause a great deal of anxiety for those of us who focus an inordinate amount of time on the future, and who fail to see the benefit of small successes day-by-day. Ironically, if you were to talk to a number of honest entrepreneurs, you would soon discover that their prosperity was mostly a product of daily hard work. Getting more done is possible because eight hours with a nose to the grindstone is worth more than forty spent daydreaming of unfulfilled expectations.

Determine what is required of you by others

We often entertain ideas in the pursuit of a lifelong goal that are contrary to the demands others have on us. I am speaking primarily of the responsibilities we set up for ourselves when we decided to marry our spouse and begin a family. However, we also have to contend with friends, and the jobs that require our time and mental faculties, so that we can make a living.

When you determine what is required of you, consider only what is absolutely necessary in light of what it takes for you and your loved ones to survive every day. Then, instead of beginning with a set of personal goals or aspirations, be resolved to be accountable first to those that are in your care. Begin by setting priorities that allow you to do this to the best of your ability.

Although these demands may fluctuate over time, they should be uncompromising and attainable. For instance, below are some personal resolutions that are at the forefront of my mind, and that take precedence over any other goal that I might set.

• If I lose my job, and I am unable to find a job that I love, or that allows me to use my vocational skills, then I will find the job that will best provide food and shelter for my family.
• The emotional and spiritual needs of my spouse and children will always come before my own.
• I will physically protect the lives of my spouse and children before I protect my own life.
• I will set boundaries for my children, even if that means I must make a personal sacrifice by adhering to those same boundaries in order to set an example.

Once you have determined what is required of you by others, you now have limits to work within, and getting more done will be framed within a grander scheme.

Keep a to-learn list instead

Being introduced to the to-learn list was quite a revelation. Why I had not considered it a worthy counterpart to the to-do list, I will never know. The to-learn list is a healthy substitute for a list of lifelong goals, because if you maintain it vigilantly, it will inevitably drive you toward what you most desire anyhow. You will be able to concentrate on your daily tasks, and focus a more appropriate amount of attention on those that are most fulfilling.

There is nothing revolutionary about that observation. However, it might surprise you how much time can be wasted on comprehension, when in some circumstances it is better just to complete a task. Then you can latch onto vigorously those tasks that fit squarely within the sites of your to-learn list.

As a software engineer, I apply this principle to just about everything I do on a daily basis. I need to know about languages, databases, servers, operating systems, and upcoming trends. Trying to comprehend everything would be too overwhelming. Instead, I try to grasp those concepts which highlight the line items on my to-learn list. My expertise will increase in those areas, and this will push me toward opportunities that continually interest me.

One thing to remember about a to-learn list is that it needs to be flexible. As a matter of habit, my to-learn list is not even organized. It is simply a list of those technologies that interest me most that I would like to experiment with, and learn more about. If I find that too many of the items on my to-learn list are out of my reach, then I reevaluate my job prospects, or assess any educational and training opportunities.

Be mindful of the future

You might be asking yourself at this point how you could possibly dream of any real success if you never think about lifelong goals. The key here is to be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment. If you are a Star Wars fan, then you will recognize this sentiment immediately. It is the wise advice of both Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda, and I wholeheartedly agree with these Jedi Masters.

Consider for a moment the career novelist. Sitting down to type out her next great masterpiece, she knows she has an end in mind. For most writers, this ending is not so clear at the beginning. However, when the novel is finished, the end is quite clear to the reader. Especially after several revisions, an editor’s touch, and the publisher’s marketing, it was as if the writer sat down and typed the entire manuscript out in a single sitting.

In reality, we know this is not the truth. Each and every day, the writer sits down and decides to write a small portion of the novel – possibly a few pages, but probably a few chapters. Much of the advice senior writers will give unpublished authors centers around getting something, anything, down on paper. They know that adverse attention is given to manuscript format, attending workshops, and pitching the idea to family. These new writers forget about what becoming a writer is all about – the act of writing.

You could argue that you first must decide to write a novel, and that in itself is a lifelong goal of many. I can certainly see the validity of this point. The piece of advice that I would offer as a compliment to this argument would be to expect the unexpected, and be willing to change. If you can shift your thinking quickly, then you will know what writers mean when they say that a story wrote itself.

Take a day of rest

My final piece of advice would be, if you do decide to eliminate a few of your lifelong goals, then be willing to work extra hard during the work week. The reason for this, is that you are setting yourself up for a day of rest. The mind needs relaxation. I can recall several instances where deciding to leave for the day with a problem unsolved made me more productive the next day. I was fresh in the morning, and it resulted in an early accomplishment, which then provided fuel for the rest of the day.

This is not an excuse for laziness. Work hard. Play hard. Nap hard. Get more done.

• Posted by Brian
• March 4th, 2008