Goals Can Get In Your Way: Why Not To Write Them for 2012

 

 

   It's heresy to suggest that not being a slave to writing goals is preferable. The research on those who write their goals was done at a major university and proved the efficacy of written goals as a predictor for achievement and success. Call me Harriet Heresy if you will, but there is a case for NOT drafting the desirable.

   Goals Can Limit Vision

    Case in point: Barry Diller, currently CEO of IAC who ran Paramount Studios and Fox TV and is currently a WEB Wonder always on the cutting edge.  In a C-SPan interview, he was asked about writing and achieving his goals.  Barry Diller laughed and said that he never wrote his goals because that would limit him.  He started out in the mailroom of William Morris' LA office and "could never have imagined" to be where he is now much less write it as a goal. 

 

  CounterIntuitve Comment

      Diller's comments stick in my mind even though they run contrary to common wisdom.  In assessing my pattern and life, I'd have to agree. Who ever thought I'd be on a radio show and that the biz editor of the SF Examiner would approach me about a weekly Careers column? I said yes. Or that designing a career change workshop to help my teacher colleagues would lead me to author a best-seller?  And then other books/bestsellers? And that my years of being a teacher, standing and addressing audiences  (known as students) would lead to keynoting conferences and meetings around the world?

  Saying "Yes" Opens Doors

       Have a dream, have a guideline and then do what the "you never know it alls" do: Say "yes" when you want to say "no" and watch the world open up for you like it did for Barry Diller.

      And your dreams?

    

Comments

[Carol Dekkers]

Susan,

This is a great post! It makes me realize that we should dream big, pursue greatness, and let the universe provide us a path to exploit the individual excellence we may not even realize is ours.

Thank you for posting.

Carol
Http://caroldekkers.wordpress.com

[plumbing supplies]

Relevant—your goals should be important to you, and they should support your personal mission statement, your Life Purpose. Don't set goals that are not in alignment with your vision for the future.

[Mark Winn]

Susan; once again you have proven that you are the shall I say iconoclastic, independent minded woman, keynote speaker, author, teacher, etc that I assumed you were. Maybe next you will appear on CNN and have a regular eve spot there with Challenge my perception of this economy! and how this economy of ours can really thrive by Challenging the status quo of it or something to that effect.
You are the best!!! Mark

[Socialkik]

Nice website and everybody should totally comply with the author on this one here. Its hillarious, thats what i should write about this post. Because this should be what the whole internet thing is all about right? Keep on doing a great job!

[Susan RoAne]

Thank you all! I try to say what make sense to me. So much of what we hear and read is blather and buzzwords.
You inspire me to continue to blog.