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Juicy Goals
posted by Bridgette Boudreau on Monday, January 4, 2010CATEGORY: All
I finally get it about goals.
You see, I loathed setting goals. Whether it was in the corporate boardroom or an inspirational coaching retreat, when the goal-talk started, my internal grump-o-meter would move into the red. Especially if the word goal was followed by the chirpy expression, “dream big!”
I dreaded setting goals because I used them to beat myself up. I made the goal mean that I had to meet it no matter what and if I didn’t I was failing. Decidedly un-fun. Why the heck would anyone set goals if it felt this way? (Answer: People who think setting goals is about making themselves do what they should do and not as rocket fuel for where they want to go.)
The other problem was that if I couldn’t see how to achieve the goal, I wouldn’t dream it. I decided that I would be that person for whom big goals didn’t work. Martha Beck talks about Wildly Improbable Goals (WIGs). I, on the other hand, became the master of Tame Probable Goals (which doesn’t make a cool acronym; you can see why it’s hasn’t caught on).
I chugged along with my not-so-wild probable goals for a while, and everything was good, but something was missing. I was kinda bored. And uninspired. Then I saw Ellen DeGeneres being interviewed on Oprah about her O Magazine cover campaign and, lightbulb MOOOO-MENT! (Say it in Oprah’s voice.) Ellen talked about how she sets big crazy goals to keep things interesting—she gets BORED if she doesn’t. BINGO! It was the understanding I was missing—big, crazy WIGs make life fun and interesting. Which makes them worth doing in my book. I was officially intrigued.
Then I realized the secret to awesome, fun goals is the juice.
The juice is the feel-good. Juicy goals are fun to think about, read, and tell everyone.
Juicy goals create the delicious tension between today’s known and tomorrow’s dream. The tension creates the inspiration, the spark that causes your neurons to start firing on how to get from where you are to where you want to be.
Here are some things I learned about creating juicy goals.
1. How, now
You don’t have to know how to get all the way to your goal. As a matter of fact, if you know exactly how to get there, it’s probably one of those wildly probable goals I mentioned above. Just focus on the “how” you know right now. More is revealed as you move TOWARD your goal.
A recent jaunt on a ropes course taught me about this. The goal was to move across a single cable
strung between two telephone poles with ropes hung every 10-12 feet to assist me across (my friend Lauren is pictured right). I knew where I wanted to go and I had an idea of what I needed to do to get there. But I had no idea how to negotiate all the obstacles—or even what they were. My first “how” was to climb up the pole.
There were things I had no clue about looking from the ground–the end of the cable goes UPHILL? Are you kidding me? I couldn’t possibly figure out or even know every step standing on the ground, I had to experience and learn as I went.
2. It’s about the ride
This is not just some trite t-shirt slogan. So often we put our heads down and grind through to get to the place we think will be happier/more successful/more fun/whatever. Making juicy goals is about creating one hell of a fun ride. The kind of ride that is so fun that wherever you end up is perfect.
3. Work like a dog
Ever watch a pooch dig a hole at the beach? They are completely going for it–tongue out, ears back, feet a-flying. Work like that.
And, from my last post:
5. Frame it in the positive
Focus on what you want rather than what you don’t.
6. Word it as if it’s already happening.
Otherwise you’ll always be waiting for it to happen.
7. Pour on the feel-good
You should feel GREAT when you read your goal. If not, keep working playing on it until you find the feel-good.
Here’s to a juicy 2010!
Comments (15)15 Responses to “Juicy Goals”
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January 4th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Hi Bridgette,
Happy New Year to you! I love your approach to juicy goals! My theme this year is pleasure seeking. I believe this is a very juicy goal as I am not sure how or what I will do to find pleasure, but I am looking forward to experiencing it more in 2010!
PS – you are a brave soul with the ropes course. I did that once and didn’t realize how much fear I had over heights.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I like it!
January 4th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Yay! Here’s to experiencing and learning as we go rather than thinking we’ve got to figure it all out before we even start. Nice post, Bridgette!
January 4th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Genius. I love it, B.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Wow, this is the best article on goals that I’ve ever read! I was like you, setting goals but not very happy about it. This is a much better way to look at it! I may have to revise my 2010 list! Thanks so much.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Thanks everyone. Welcome to the blog Monica!
January 4th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Oooh, juicy! I love it. Ok, I’m ready for some goals!
January 4th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
“Just focus on the “how” you know right now. More is revealed as you move TOWARD your goal.” Love it! So much freedom in that!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Nice. This post helps line me up for my own upcoming “juicy” WIG’s. I love “juicy goals create the delicious tension between today’s known and tomorrow’s dream”, that gives me chills! Thank you for these exciting words.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Love the “more is revealved as you move TOWARD your goal.” Great job explaining how to use goals as FUN and INSPIRING ways to light your fire! Nice job Bridgette1
January 4th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Always awesome! Love the inspiration!
January 5th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Yes, turn up the juice. Great post, Bridgette! So often goals are used as some kind of punishment. Here’s to a fun, playful, juicy new year!
January 6th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
So juicy I’m eating this post up!! Thanks B, I just gave myself permission to get crazy with my goals. Why not?!!
January 21st, 2010 at 11:22 am
Love the juice Bridgette! I just posted a cool goal tool you might like – it makes even the mere process of writing goals down more fun(& pretty!). All hail Ellen!
There is a template here: http://thriveliving.com/2010/01/non-negotiable-happiness/
February 5th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
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