Written by: John Scott, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
This note is the second insight in a four-part goal-setting and attainment series. I envision seeing my next book completed. I have chapter headings and lots of words. But I need to write more consistently to finish it anytime soon. I know that and haven't been doing it, which does not feel good to say out loud. So, I reviewed what I had just written in the first of these four insights on goal attainment.
The structure a goal statement matters to the level of engagement we feel.
The key points are:
Proximity – How far out in time is the goal to be attained? Shorter-term (small-chunked) goals tend to be easier to attain.
Specificity: Being specific helps our brains "see" more clearly or bring in more easily, what allows us to manifest our intention.
Orientation – If we say, "I want to eat less bad food" (avoidance goal), our brain is engineered to focus on "bad food," but if we say, "I intend to eat a healthy diet" (approach goal) our brain will focus on "healthy diet." We cannot be motivated by the reverse of a negative. So go with an approach goal.
Purpose – As in the purpose of the goal. Is it about learning, developing a skill, or performance? There are more positive outcomes with a learning goal and some adverse effects or risks with performance goals.
Duration: A "process" goal is a regular action, like writing three pages daily. These tend to be about creating habits. An "end state" goal is a specific task after which nothing is required, like, "I will finish writing the book."
Looking a little deeper into how I perceived my book goal, two things became evident and real: (1) the goal of "writing a book" did not meet the optimal structure above, as I often get paralyzed by its bigness. And (2) I take on a lot: big, multiple, and ambitious goals, making it hard for me to be on top of all of it.
Unchecked mind chatter was like a current running against my goal.
When training to swim across Lake Ontario years ago, I met resistance in my mind around the goal's magnitude. I recall repeatedly thinking, "How can I possibly swim 51 kilometres?" The unchecked mind chatter and negative context were like a current running against my training efforts. I needed to do something different to turn the current around so "the wind" would be at my back. So, I brought logic and facts to bear.
If there is a limit to overcome, it is in us, not out there.
I could swim 1,500 metres and do 10,000-metre work without too much trouble. So, I changed my narrative by reflecting on what I had done that made the big goal more plausible. Then, later in reflection, I took the "negative" thoughts and re-oriented them as an approach goal and from a position of strength, virtually eliminating the "current" against me.
The thoughts that were now emerging were about the speed I could do it in. Re-purposing the context energy was like going the right way on a flume ride!
Focusing on strengths and acknowledging successful training milestones supported self-efficacy, which is how well one can execute the necessary action to deal with or achieve the desired outcome.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." –Henry Ford.
Boosting self-efficacy to support goal attainment:
Role models – "That person did it, so can I."
A cheerleader ‒ Someone (or yourself) that is entirely there for you.
Managing stress skilfully – This is trainable.
Knowing your strengths – Write them down.
Having mastery experience – "I can do this. I am doing this."
Savouring wins – KEY: Dwell on small and big wins (good facts aligned to your goal or direction).
Own your worth.
Present tense intentions: "I am" is more powerful than "I will."
High self-efficacy correlates with problem-solving, achieving goals, and well-being.
If we want something but it's not happening, we must figure out how we can adjust our thoughts to have it. It is not about that goal being possible or not it is about reducing resistance and turning the current in our favour and direction to attain what we desire.
"May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back…"
John Scott, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
John worked in sales and leadership in the financial industry for 30 years. For part of that time, he experienced a great deal of stress and didn't know the way back. As a result, John's health and well-being suffered. Becoming burnt out was the stimulus to wake up with a determination to do his life differently.
John began a private journey to understand and overcome the negative stress he was experiencing. He found a formula for sustainable performance he now shares to help people move through common challenges to experience more great and less grind.
John has completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, U. of Massachusetts), Foundations of Applied Mindfulness Meditation (U. of Toronto), and the Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP, Flourishing Center, NY).
John's adventures include:
• Climbing Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Two dog sledding trips to the Canadian Arctic.
• Two record-breaking swim crossings Lake Ontario (51km)
• The first to swim from Christian Island to Collingwood, in Georgian Bay (32km).
John brings his experience in life, learning, and adventure to help people do life and work well through writing, speaking, and coaching.
