Staying with my goals theme from yesterday, I'm delighted that my blog sparked a lot of debate amongst my friends on facebook, but hey let's direct some comments and conversations on this page! It's all about comments and views people!
Only kidding of course, though seriously do post comments here. So how do we accomplish any goals we set? I am convinced that the simple answer is how badly you want it. Or how much do you need to have it? It's a massive shame Jim Rohn is dead, but at least he cannot do me for plagiarising his work as I am about to do again. You see like with many other things, no one has made it more obvious to me how we either get things done or we don't than jim Rohn. It is simply need. How much do you need it, or want it? On his excellent CD 'Cultivating an Unshakable Character' he states, "There is a big difference between wanting to, and needing to. You may want to speak a foreign language but may get nowhere, however if you needed to learn a foreign language to get a relative out of a foreign jail, I bet you would do it". And he's right. People can do all kinds of things if they need to. Therefore, the best motivation for achieving any goal or dream is to have a real need, a real reason to do it.
Looking back at my goals yesterday, what reason could I give for some of my goals? To speak Polish for instance? Well my wife is Polish and it would mean the absolute world to me if I could speak on a fluent level with her Mother and family when I am in Poland. What about to speak French? Well because I would love to go travelling round France and the French countryside one day, soaking up the culture and taking many photographs along the way. There are many other reasons of course, but the important thing is that you give yourself a reason to want to accomplish it. Write down the goal and keep the end result in mind, no matter how long it takes. Not giving yourself a reason to achieve a goal, is like opening a dating site for nuns, it isn't going to work.
It is also why I think it is very important to write down a list of goals, but then to also work out which are your absolute top goals you would like to achieve. You cannot have a huge list of goals and have the same motivation to achieve them all. Take for example a young singer or sportsperson - their goal is pretty simple, to become either a famous singer or successful sportsperson. They may also have a goal to be a more organised person, but I doubt it motivates them like their big dream does.
Therefore, keep the goal list low and the reasons for them high. That is what I believe is the way to accomplish them.
Unfortunately the want vs need argument can be torn to pieces. I am lucky enough to know you very well, the example you gave of needing to learn Polish is a bit of a bum example. Why do you need to learn Polish? Your wife can speak great English, if she didn't you probably wouldn't be married. She can therefore translate for you if required. So really learinig to speak Polish is something you want, not what you need.
ReplyDeleteHow can you possibly characterise anything as needing? I need to learn to drive, maybe? Well do you really need to, how did you cope for 17 years previously? It is not something you need to do.
You will always be able to question the need for something.
You can argue I need a better job to pay for my lavish lifestyle, as an example. However is this really the need, or is the need actually to change your lifestyle.
It seems that I am anti goal setting and I clearly do not want to achieve anything in life. This really is not the case, however I do believe that people can spend to much worrying about what they should and shouldn't be doing. How many times in your life have you done something or made a decision, then led in bed that evening and wished you had made the other descision, or I should have done that, or I should have said this? I dont think this will ever change and regardless of whether or not you acheive your goals, you will always wish for something else.
Therefore is it worth worrying about goals, or should you just take the ride of life and see where it takes you? You never know if we're lucky we may get to do it all again :-).
Bowers, Bowers, Bowers, first of all thank you for your contribution. I am not saying you need to have a 'need' to accomplish all your goals. I am just saying at the 'need' level is where a lot of your motivation is going to come from. You're right, I don't need to speak Polish. Therefore, the reasons for me to want to speak Polish have to be very motivating for me to achieve this. I want to speak French but I don't need to. Again, if I am to achieve this, I have to give myself a great reason to do it, else I will lose interest and motivation.
ReplyDeleteIt's fair enough that you don't see the need for goals. I understand the argument for not having them, but I think I expended most of my material on our facebook chat earlier! It will come round again I'm sure though.