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@ Jake Woodhouse
2024-01-24 19:27:45You’re walking down the street.
People are flowing by you.
Tall.
Small.
Smilling.
Crying.
Whatever the case might be, what would happen if you stopped each one of them, and asked a simple question:
“What is your goal?”
Chance’s are, most people would have the same response.
“I don’t know”
Or if they did have an answer, maybe it’s…
“Get my hair cut”
A little better would be…
“Grow my wealth”
Point being, we charge around through life without properly taking the time to set effective goals.
Could we be more productive?
Could we be happier?
Could we be better at realising our dreams?
I am just embarking on a personal development course with our wonderful osteopath Sharizaar.
She is an alumni of the Proctor-Gallagher institute, an organisation founded by a guy called Bob Proctor, a disciple of Napoleon Hill’s almost century old book “Think and Grow Rich”.
In one of the early lesson’s Bob points out brilliantly how directionless most of us are.
We haven’t set strategic goals.
And without good goals we’re doomed to mediocrity.
It really resonated.
In particular he unpacked the different types of goals he see’s.
A, B, and C type goals.
Let’s dissect them.
An A-type goal is a goal you already know how to do.
Let’s say my goal is to buy a new BMW X5.
Sounds nice.
But if I already own a BMW X5, which I bought 2 years ago new, then my goal is something I already know how to do.
If you already understand how to do it, then it doesn’t force you to learn or test yourself, so there is no personal growth attached to it.
On reflection, many of the goals I have are like this…
A B-type goal requires a little more thinking.
It’s a goal that you know, should you collect together lots of information, speak to that person, go to that place, buy that thing, then you’re confident you can get there.
You have a mind map of how to achieve a B-type goal.
Sure, attainment of the goal might be a good thing, but you’re simply collecting resources together.
There is no creativity involved in pulling all that together.
The problem with a B-type goal: you will get bored.
As I think through this, we’ve just made the decision to go and spend a month in Byron bay, so I set this as a goal.
I’ve booked a property, paid for flights, found a way to get a car and dog up there, all of which I knew I could achieve.
I am not bored.
But it’s a case of curating a bunch of things that I already know how to do.
Which brings me to a C-type goal.
As Bob brilliantly points out, this type of goal is more like a vision, a fantasy, a dream come true.
He encourages you to get creative.
Sit down.
Breathe.
Feel.
What is it that you’ve always really wanted?
Fly a helicopter.
Speak fluent French.
Climb Mt Everest.
Just some fun things that spring to mind.
The key here is to be almost irrational, conjure up things that one immediately rejects as impossible, something that initially scares you.
Go on a silent retreat.
Swim the English Channel.
Write a book.
Even those aren’t truly scary enough!
I am thinking on the fly here… Arguably this is best done with nothing in mind.
Create a sustainable source of energy that is costless.
Time travel.
Go to Mars.
That’s better.
Those are terrifying!
What I like here though, it really resonates, is that “you are your thoughts”.
If we set a C-type goal well, sure we don’t know how to achieve it, but once we set our mind on it then the creativity flows.
“When there is a will, there is a way.”
Bob quotes Napoleon Hill “imagination is the most marvellous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever know”.
Well this is a fun way to start the day!
Pumped.
I am inspired to spend more time spitballing terrifying ideas that could become a goal.
Admittedly Sharizaar did help me to set a C-type goal lately, which is poignant if only for the fact it’s the first time in my life I set a goal that didn’t include something to do with money, which should actually just be the output of a good goal.
Each mornign and evening I say to myself: “I’m so grateful and happy, now that I give myself permission to live everyday as an open space of discovery, fulfilment, and wonder.”
Cheesy.
Yes.
Spiritual.
Yes.
Fun first attempt.
For sure.
Where is this all taking me?
Time will tell.
But with a renewed vigour to utilise goal setting I am confident of a happier, healthier, and wealthier future.
What goals do you have?
Best, Jake
Ps - until the last year I was very bad at spending money on myself. Sure, I’ve invested in other people, I’ve travelled a lot, and been very fortunate in general, but I am guilty of poor self-care. Massage? No thanks. Osteo session? No thanks. Meditation? Don't have time… With the beautiful influence of my wife, a bio-hacker if ever there was one, I am quickly improving. One of the area’s I am most excited about, and have already felt benefits from, is paying up for personal development coaching. I encourage you do consider doing the same! As always, DM open, as I’d love to hear from you.