In my desire to expand my horizons, think outside of the box and expose myself to the different points of view that exist in this world of ours, I am regularly being forced to question what I had previously thought were “absolute truths”.
Many of you have read my posts discussing how important I feel it is to “Goal Set.” Personally, I think it helps keep people more accountable to what they really want to achieve if they share their goals and dreams with family and friends, write them down, post it on their “Facebook” profile, etc.
Simply put, my belief process was, “if people know I want to do/achieve/attain it, I’ll need to do whatever it takes to accomplish just that.” Derek Sivers disagrees with me. Watch the video below from his TED Talks presentation from September of this year, and really take a second to think about what he has to say.
I’m excited to see if you goal-setters/sharers still feel the way you do (that sharing is a better way of attaining a desired result), if you private thinkers agree with him and if so why you do, and finally, if anyone’s point of view may have changed simply after watching a 3:00 video.
Post your thoughts in the comments section and let’s talk it out.
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Thanks for posting. I appreciate it.
What’s key is that this only applies to “identity” goals. Goals that are just your self-identity: like running a marathon, completing a master’s degree, learning a language, etc.
The main point is to make sure you get no satisfaction until you’ve actually done the hard work necessary.
Avoid any congratulations, or people thinking highly of you just for trying. That will satisfy you too soon.
Personally, I think there needs to be a good balance of both. There are a lot of goals I keep to myself, but there are ones that I will talk about. When I do talk about them, I’m usually sharing my PROGRESS TOWARDS my goal. I feel that this is more important than just saying “I’m going to do an Ironman”, “I’m going to get my MBA”, etc. By announcing your progress, that allows you to keep yourself honest, and you still get some reassurance that what you’re doing is working.
“A goal without a plan is a dream”. This is what I like to remind myself from time to time. So sure, share what steps you’ve finished in your plan, how far along are you in your plan to GET to your goal! If you don’t have a plan, maybe you’re just sharing a dream…
[…] you watched the video on my Brain Power post from 12/12/10, and if you read the comments from Derek Sivers, himself (along with some great feedback from a […]