It’s getting close to the time of year when people will start looking ahead to 2017, and part of that process will likely included listing goals for the upcoming year. It’s an exciting and encouraging activity that I enjoy doing; however, my thoughts about goals shifted slightly this week after listening to Jon Gordon on Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership podcast.
Goals are great because the provide direction for where we’d like to arrive in the future. Consider the following goals:
- Earn $X per year
- Lose 30 pounds
- Earn a degree
- Complete a marathon or other significant physical activity
- Buy a house
- Pay off a debt
Those are all great goals, and similar to what many people list at the beginning of each year. But here’s where my thinking has changed. I think that just a list of goals is incomplete and misses the mark, because the list alone says nothing about how these goals will be attained. What’s missing from the list is our commitment
Consider our list of goals above. It’s aspirational, for sure, but that’s about it. Now consider that same list with a corresponding list of actions we’re willing to commit to in order to bring these goals about.
Our revised list might look like the following
| My Goal | My Commitment |
| Earn $X per year | Study 1 hour per day toward the mastery of a marketable skill that would yield the salary I desire. |
| Lose 30 pounds | Stop eating sugary snacks and fast food and instead opting for healthy whole food alternatives. |
| Earn a degree | Devote 2 hours after work on week nights and 8 hours during the weekends to study and class attendance. |
| Complete a marathon or other significant physical activity | Work with a coach to develop a training and nutrition plan and adhere to it. |
| Buy a house | Save X% of my earnings to apply toward a down payment. |
| Pay off a debt | Stop using credit cards and cut out discretionary spending and instead throw that money toward eliminating debt. |
Now that’s a much more compelling list! Not only is it aspirational, it has more “punch” because it describes what we’re willing to commit to in order to achieve the goal. Without commitment, we’re relegated to just hoping our goals come to pass.
As you’re considering goals for 2017, I encourage you to join me in also listing what you’ll commit to doing in order to achieve each goal. I think we’ll be amazed by what we can accomplish when we add commitment to the equation.
Cause Something to Happen 