In my formative years, I encountered this word one too many times. Understanding its true meaning took nearly 30 years. So much so that this splendid word — goals — now forms the purpose of what I do. Its prevalence is so dominant in our lives.
Goals can be sub-divided into concrete and abstract. Abstract goals are also known as buffer plans, till we attain clarity of what we really want. They are just a testing phase, and provide ideas or a sense of direction to our concrete goals. Setting concrete goals involves breaking down plans into an actionable to-do list and then defining short-term and long-term goals.
Short-term pursuits are achievable in the near future. Long-term goals define our purpose in life. More often than not, they are related to what legacy you want to leave behind. How do you want to impact the communities or economics of social, political or business? How do you want to be remembered as — an innovator or a trendsetter?
Means to the end
Simply put, setting goals provides us the foundation on which to build our lives. It also infuses pride in our parents and mentors, which also helps them fulfil their purpose. This focus facilitates our entry into the success arena, enabling us to face challenges, test our skills, and know our pain points. It pushes us to take actions that take us closer to our goal.
The essentials of our performance, the way we work towards our goals, depend on three main factors which dictate the trajectory we take:
EQ or emotional quotient relates to how our heart and body react to situations and external stimuli, and how we feel. EQ identifies with the will to do things
IQ or intelligence quotient relates to our ability to solve rational problems and achieve defined tasks, and is indicative of our potential to achieve goals
Last, SQ or the spiritual quotient defines our very purpose — the WHY behind what we do
To make an impact, make it personal. Be the first, not the no. 1. So, how do the goals conceptualise?
For most of us, our goals are a manifestation of the way we communicate with our environment and our experiences within it. When we expose ourselves to the elements, we shape our perceptions and our thought process. Our survival instincts kick in. Our environment constitutes the people we interact with, in every facet of our lives. In school or places of learning, our peers, teachers and mentors are the biggest influencers.
At workplace, we look up to the person whose position we eventually want to reach. The stakeholders at various rungs of the department or organisation also shape our thought process. And of course, the society at large, our community, friends circle and family play a critical role. Often, our family members and situations propel us to evaluate our standing and formulate our goals.
Mindfulness about these key elements help us focus on the right decisions for our career and life. Strengths will help us take advantage of important opportunities and use our EQ, SQ and IQ to the best of our abilities. We become resourceful, creative, and strong-minded. Conversely, being aware of weaknesses is the first step to working towards them and also seeking support in areas where needed. This step is imperative to accomplish goals.
Strengths need to be enhanced and further developed to achieve maximum potential. And how is this done? Knowledge is the key to building skills that are relevant to achieving your goals.
However, the best knowledge is gained at the Meccas of learning which are schools/universities, and then tested at the workplace. Both forums are unique not just because of their excellent curriculum and environment, but because they have mentors who have tested their skills and believe in “learn.. share… grow”
It is important to start early. The formative years are the pathways that allow for flexible execution and course correction to ensure that you stay on your path. Last but not the least, shrink your environment and be humbly bold.
The writer is Founder and Master Coach at Mansie Dewan Consulting.
