UTOPIA

We do goals every day. Usually, they are skin deep and don’t get into the life-changing goals you might occasionally wrestle with. That’s why the second stage of the FUTURE process, Utopia, is so important.

You will decide who you want to be, what you want to have and what you want to do. However, doing so requires a deep understanding of the nature of goals.

The name Utopia is slightly tongue-in-cheek. However, Utopia works because setting goals develops a mental image of your future, which is hopefully utopian and reflects a desire to live well.

In addition,

• Goals help you to focus and pay attention to the direction of your life.
• The thrill of discovering new opportunities and goals will light your torch and give you the fire to realise your dreams.
• Goals help you grow and develop as you learn new skills and strategies to achieve your goals.

So, let’s explore the deeper aspects of goals and their relationship to motivation and values as you develop goals.

Proximity

Short-term goals tend to be more specific, whilst longer-term goals are more aspirational and closer to your values.

You often need to set short-term goals to achieve longer-term aspirations, but research suggests that setting long and short-term goals together works well.

Short-term goals are good for starting a project, whilst long-term goals are good for motivation.

The action factor

You can set avoidance goals motivated by negativity or achievement goals motivated by a positive purpose.

Unsurprisingly, setting achievement goals is far more likely to improve your well-being.

You may find yourself setting avoidance goals simply because they reflect the problem foremost in your mind. When stock markets drop, clients have a problem with a fall in the value of their portfolios, and so their goal becomes to avoid equities.

For your well-being, it is vital to reframe avoidance goals. So when stock markets fell, I would ask the client about their long-term aspirations for a strong and sizeable portfolio, usually to fund their retirement. This aspiration made them reframe their short-term goals into investing in equities while they were cheap.

Goals with purpose

Often, goals are about learning a new skill, such as speaking another language (which may be motivated by a longer-term aspiration to live in that country).

Learning goals are common in people who perceive setbacks as challenges to be mastered, not threats to be endured, which motivates them to learn new skills.

Alternatively, you may be concerned with demonstrating your skills. These are known as performance skills and are one of the reasons independent professionals attend courses and obtain certificates. They demonstrate to their clients their competence and abilities.

Performance goals can be very motivating, but they can also give rise to feelings of poor self-worth when you fail to achieve the desired standard.

Goals and values

We tend to talk about goals and values in the same sentence. However, they are very different, even if linked. Your values seldom change and are never achieved. However, goals reflect your values. They change frequently, particularly when one goal is achieved and replaced by another.

Now that you understand goals better think about the implications of your everyday goals, and consider again what you want to be, have, and do.

TAKE IT FURTHER

Reflect

Here are three propositions on which to reflect. Think of stories relating to the question and ask yourself what happened, so what and what next.

• Am I setting goals that energise me or just help me avoid pain?
• Are my goals in harmony with my core values?
• How do my short-term goals support my long-term aspirations?

Comment

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Attributions and references

Photo attribution

Photo by Marco Antonio Casique Reyes on Unsplash

Audio link

https://audio.com/jeremy_deedes/audio/goals/

References

Elliot, A. J., & Fryer, J. W. (2008). The goal concept in psychology. In J. Shah & W. Gardner (Eds.), Handbook of motivational science (pp. 235–250). New York: Guilford Press.

Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41,
1040-1048.

ABOUT

I work with ambitious, family-oriented professionals transitioning to independent consultants to create a 3 to 5-year holistic plan so that they grow wealthy, make a difference and find meaning.

My clients are aged 35-50. They are in a long-term relationship with family and parents who are supportive but ageing. They wrestle with personal and financial responsibilities and dream of more control, wealth, time and purpose.

If this excites you, you are coachable, willing to change, and want to stop going around in circles, then find out more at jeremydeedes.com

Then, take your next step and explore your way forward with a Mapmaker, a one-off online coaching gig to help you decide your options, assess our compatibility, and determine whether we are the right fit. Mapmaker is excellent value, held in confidence and without further commitment.

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What do you think?

Your views are important, and your fellow readers would love to hear your opinion, so share your thoughts in the comments box below, and thank you for your time and generosity.