A Quick Problem with the New Year's Resolution and Goal Setting
So here we are, about to enter the
New Year, where you decide this is your year and you delude yourself into
believing you're really going to pull it off; you're going to reach your goal
this year because this is your year. If
your resolution resembles the failed goals of years gone by, NEWSFLASH, this
one will fail too. And the worst part will be all the anger and frustration you
have because chances are, your goals are results driven.
If what you want to
accomplish is actually important to you, you're not going to delay until some special day where miraculously, everything you
set out to accomplish will come true. What makes you think that waiting for
January 1st will instantly make something you couldn't accomplish the other 364
days of the year doable? Whether you set out to do it on January 1st or on July
17th, the day you start is DAY 1. You have to, in the words of Clint Darden,
"go all in or quit." Make no mistake, I want you to succeed. I want
you to achieve your goals and I want you to be healthy.
But it won't be
easy. It won't be fast. You're going to have days where you want to quit.
You're going to have days where "it's just a donut." crosses your
mind. I could tell you it's all about goal setting, stick-to-it-iveness, and
the power of unicorn farts. I've written about why we fail to achieve goals
(Find Your Why) and spoiler alert; it isn't because it's a bad goal or a bad plan.
Instead of just regurgitating the same old speech about goals, motivation,
dedication (because we've heard it all before, right?), I'm going to break down
goal setting my way and then tell you how to make it work. Hope isn't the
answer.
When I was writing the December Newsletter (If you haven't subscribed, please do. It takes a second and we will never spam you.) I came across a quote that inspired a whole new thought process about goal setting. Sure, you've heard about SMART goals and tried your hand at goal setting to have failed. You're not alone. We all set goals that we don't achieve. It isn't unique to fail. It's not unique to move beyond some goals. It's a fact of life; you're going to choose a goal you really want at the time, you're going to bust your ass trying to achieve said goal, and you're going to fail, sometimes through no fault of your own. What happens when we fail to meet our goal, that is up to us. We can get upset, create an excuse or belittle ourselves, and we can give up in frustration, unhappy. And then I read the quote:
"Happy people plan actions, they don't plan
results."
- Denis Waitley
Go
ahead, read it again, maybe even a third time. Let it sink in. We plan goals
and for the most part, we plan results, results that we have damn near no
control over. And when we don't meet the result, we are unhappy.
While Waitley doesn't directly mention goal setting, I believe
he is referring to how we choose goals and how we go about achieving them.
Since 1981, SMART goals have been the way to go. We spent time studying and writing SMART goals in my Sports Counseling
classes. The more we worked with them, the less adequate they became. Here’s
why: take 30 seconds and
reflect on a goal you had this year. Was it a good goal by the framework? Now,
was the goal a process or a result? Did you have control over all the aspects
of your goal or just a few pieces?
I had
a goal to finish the home renovation by September; here it is, almost
Christmas, and it isn't done.
By
the SMART framework, I chose a good goal.
Specific
- Finish Renovating three rooms
Measurable
- Completed the walls, flooring, and carpets
Attainable
- There were a full 8 weeks, so there's definitely enough time
Realistic
- Again, it's been done before, so it's possible
Time
- 8 weeks, done by September
It
had all the planning, the intentions, and a specific time-frame, but that
doesn't make it a good goal on more than paper. There were some glaring
flaws in this goal:
- It's an old house, nothing is going to be square, level, or easy to modify
- I am not an army of construction workers
- I am not a contractor and my contractor is volunteering his expertise when he has time
- Weather
Right
there, I have four reasons my goal was poorly chosen. I was frustrated and
unhappy because my goal was a result that I had 20% control over instead of a
plan to accomplish what I did have control of. Had I chosen a goal that passed the PACE test I'd have been better off.
Back
to you. How often have you picked a goal that you can't 100% control,
100% define, 100% act upon, and could change as life dictates? How often
do you allow it to stress you out, to discourage you, ruin your positive
energy, and make you unhappy? Are you about to do it again? Maybe it's
time to forgo the standard goal setting, move beyond SMART goals and give PACE
goals a try.
What are PACE Goals?
Looking
back at Denis Waitley's quote we can make two observations which we'll use in
defining PACE:
- Planning your action steps will lead to happiness
- Planning results will not
First and foremost,
set a REAL goal, not a bullshit, lip-service goal that's so vague even you
don't know what it really means. This goal should be about Actions, not
results. Further, choose a goal around something that you can actually control.
Finally, make the goal one that can evolve with you. If you're going to take
the time to make a goal, make sure it passes the PACE test.
A goal that passes
the PACE test is clearly defined and places all the success or failure clearly
on your shoulders.
PACE stands for:
Process
Action
Controllable
Evolving
We
begin with Process. If we listen to Waitley, we are happier when we plan actions, not
results. Is your goal a process or a result? We all have ideal results, but a
results goal without a process is worthless. In a similar manner, you could do
everything right with a results goal and not achieve the desired result. This
is the primary reason I believe goals should focus be based on completing a
PROCESS. When you choose a process goal, the goal will pass the "what does
that mean?" and "what do I have to do?" tests.
--We'll start with a
standard goal, "I'm going to lose 20 lbs." This is a result, so we
need to answer "what do I have to do?". The process could be
"I'm going to eat better and be more active." (what does that mean
and what do I have to do?) We redefine the process as "participate in
activities that will help me lose weight." Again, what does that mean and
what do I have to do? "I have to be
intentionally active more than 4 hours per week and reduce my intake of sweets
to only 1 serving per week." Aha! A clear process!
Next comes Action.
Your goal must require conscious action on your part. This is where we should spend
the most time evaluating if our goal is good. Plan the steps to accomplish the
result you want and know the action steps you need to take. If our goal does not require conscious action on our part, it will most likely fail the next qualifier in PACE.
--Action goals for
our example are something like "I will
train after work on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday" and "I will eat my sweets only on Saturday night."
Controllable is as
obvious as it sounds. Do I have control of the process and actions? Again, it's
about actions, not results. You can't control results like winning a contest,
losing weight, or being healthier any more than you can control which way the
wind blows. You can, however, plan and control the actions you take, which if
done to the best of your ability, hopefully produce the desired result. Again,
it is your goal and you are responsible, therefore it needs to be something you
can control.
--"I will train with weights for 45 minutes on M, T, Th, Fr and I will not keep tempting food in my house so I will have to go out
to get it on Saturday."
Lastly, any good
goal should be Evolving. We need to be willing to re-evaluate and change our
goal. Sometimes life cooperates and allows us to complete our action goals.
Other times, life dictates a change. Either way, we need to be flexible with
our goal. As we achieve, our goal should grow; as we realize certain aspects
are unachievable in our time frame, we should modify. Notice I'm not saying
give up. Forgoing a goal is a last resort and something only you will know when
it is time to call in. Some times this
means allowing more or reducing the number of servings of sweets.
--"I have not been able to train as much as I like. I
will train as much as I can and allow myself a serving of sweets only after I
have trained 4 days for 45 minutes."
While I moved away
from losing 20 lbs as the focus of the goal, the likely result of completing my PACE goals
will be better health and weight loss. By creating an action goal that I can
control and will evolve as needed, I have a better chance at success and a
happy journey.
As we embark on our new journey, consider Waitley's advice with a little bit of hard earned wisdom. Set your sights high and challenge yourself. Test your goal against the PACE framework. Ask yourself if you are in control of all the pieces that lead to your goal. If you don't have 100% control, you can still have that goal, but be aware and accepting that you can give your 100% and still not receive the result you are looking for. Most importantly, execute the planned action and be proud of the accomplishments along the way.
As we embark on our new journey, consider Waitley's advice with a little bit of hard earned wisdom. Set your sights high and challenge yourself. Test your goal against the PACE framework. Ask yourself if you are in control of all the pieces that lead to your goal. If you don't have 100% control, you can still have that goal, but be aware and accepting that you can give your 100% and still not receive the result you are looking for. Most importantly, execute the planned action and be proud of the accomplishments along the way.
The quick list for goal setting:
-What does your goal
really mean? Why do you want to do it?
You have to keep asking why until you have a single, solitary reason
that can't be defined as anything other than your "purpose."
-Where does your
goal rank in your life? Is it essential
or non-essential? If you aren't willing
to give up something you love, you'll be willing to give up on your goal unless
you can give it enough weight. Finding
the right reason is paramount. It needs
to be a deep seated reason too, not something like "just because." If your goal isn't in your top 5, you'll
probably say fuck it at some point when it gets tough or it drags on. Just an observation. Sometimes this means
only having 1 or 2 goals at a time.
-Stop telling
EVERYBODY. Tell a few people that
matter, the people that give your goal weight, the ones that can check you back
on track.
Think of your goals
like a car
The car is the
complete package
The engine is the
motivation, the reason you want to accomplish the goal. Big engine, higher motivation. Little engine and your car doesn't mow the
grass.
The wheels are the
things that keep you grounded when you get carried away. Cheap tires you slide off the road, you
blowout at trouble.
The gas is the
effort you put into accomplishing the goal.
Shit in, shit out, etc.
The brakes are there
to stop you from going out of control
The steering is to
keep you on target
Now PACE.
Process
Actionable
Controllable
Evolving
