Dear Doctor:
Let’s continue our discussion of goals, the common denominator in all theories and systems of success I know of.
By now, you may have initiated your goal setting for next year. Yet, the definition of “initiated” is in the mind of the beholder – does it mean that you’ve thought about what you’d like to accomplish next year? That you’ve decided exactly what you want to accomplish next year? That you’ve written what you intend to accomplish next year?
Those who are most experienced in goal setting claim that writing down your goals is the most certain and productive way to address them. Being of strong mind and opinion, I bucked this recommendation for years, either skipping it or doing it begrudgingly, until I realized the reasoning behind it.
You see, our minds are cluttered with managing all of our typical daily operations, not to mention our infinite inner commentary on them. Trying to find a place to put a goal to focus on is like securing a corner of a messy garage – you can find some space, but there’s so much distraction, it hardly stands out, even if it’s very important. For that reason, taking your goals outside your mind gives you perspective, a vantage point, an angle to look from that demonstrates the details and subtlety, and provides the opportunity for refinement that barely exists until the goal appears on paper.
This perspective creates a form of disassociation or detachment, which makes us more objective in our evaluations. We’re not so “close,” so to speak, and that distance makes it possible for us to notice flaws as well as clearly identify those aspects that are near perfect, taking us toward our desired outcomes with more efficiency and drive.
When you write your goals, you adopt a pattern of behavior shared by the great geniuses of history. While some may fear the commitment of putting goals in writing, or pretend that not leaving proof of their failures makes them sting less, I submit to you that the risk of commitment is far less unpleasant than the fate of living uncommitted. Declare, put yourself on the line, and then do whatever it takes to get where you are going. You may win some and lose some, but you’ll taste the juice of life every day.
Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle
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