Goals & the Lack of Them...

4/21/2012

Sooo... here we go. Hang on, it's about to get angry in here... I happened to be in a conversation with a guy today. He says, 'I set my goals low, so that way I feel like everyday I accomplish something. So that I don't get disappointed.' I look at him like 'he's ignorant & why are still talking to me', which he must of mistaken for an 'I don't understand look'. Then he goes into a deeper explanation of his 'philosophy of life'. I interrupt him & say 'I understand what you are saying, that you step over ant hills on a daily basis.' As I point at myself, I say ' I set my goals high and I accomplish them, then the next goal I set is higher... I CLIMB MOUNTAINS... or I blast through them. I shift ENTIRE landscapes'. He says... 'Oh' Grrrrr..... Call me Sherry Nature.

I posted this on my Facebook yesterday and I am still mystified by the pride the guy took when he was telling me about how he sets his goals low. In a seemingly unrelated incident that also happened yesterday, it has become glaring clear why his philosophy angered me.

I bought a ring from an Amazon.com store. It was supposed to have shipped on Monday or Tuesday. Friday I emailed them, asking why it hadn't shipped yet. I got a return email saying they were sorry for the oversight and 'requested' from their shipping department that it be sent overnight delivery for Saturday. Now the operative word there is 'requested'. I can request many things: I request that Albert Einstein dine at my house tonight to discuss his thoughts on quantum physics. I also request that a pot of gold be delivered to my house tonight, pulled by a team of unicorns with a leprechaun who will grant me 3 wishes upon his arrival.

Grrr... Now I have a guy with lackluster goals & a company with poor communication skills who have both convinced themselves that their success will materialize if they give just 50% or 25%, or whatever percentage... it doesn't matter. What does matter is: Whatever happened to giving 100% & beyond?

I suppose it will catch up with them both. The company will probably go broke & the guy will never aspire to be anything more than he is today. Is this a growing trend?

--
Sherry Wood 104wood@gmail.com

2 Comments

Dan Heidt link

4/28/2012 09:44:40 am

110% or NOTHING!!!! There are winners and losers in life. Winners say what can I do next cause they just got something good done. Losers just whine. What if??? So offer him some cheese for his whine that should be easy enough to please him! The closer you come to true worth while accomplishment the steeper the climb. So I say dig in baby and ain't no one knocking me off my mountain til I reach the TOP!! Then like your self I will move that mountain right where I want it. Over around or through we get things done. My answer would have been stay in bed all day cause life is for the living. And I choose to Live!! MY LIFE MY GOALS!! Shoot for the Moon. If I miss I still land among the STARS!!! Peace and Respect to one of my breed. =)

Dan-O 3908

Hoot

4/29/2012 09:50:18 pm

To anwer your question, no, I don't think its a growing trend. I think two things could be going on with your guy.

First, as I learned in the Army (after much frustration like yours) is how little so many folks seem willing to give -- at work, at play, whereever. There's a lot of passive mediocrity out there, people content to make no waves, possibly because attempting more entails up-front investment of additional energy while risking failure. Failure has two costs: loss of the additional effort for no gain, and social embarrassment. So folks look for anthills to step over (great phrase) in order to claim success.

The other thing that could at play is context. It doesn't seem like it from what you've said, but this guy could be shepherding his resources. Nobody gives 110% at anything. The most any of us have is 100% of our waking energy to devote to life. The way we give "110%" for a big project at work, home, church, etc is to shift resources. To give 100% of my available effort to preparing for a race, I would ignore my wife & children, quit my job, forego socialization. This is the sort of commitment that monastic hermits ostensibly displayed -- and it got them into hot water with the Church for being prideful -- because life is about more than the individual.

So maybe this guy could have been giving as little as possible in order to excel at something he didn't think you'd assign much value to -- on-line video gaming for instance, or miniature painting. He'd protect himself by keeping this secret so he couldn't be ridiculed for it -- either because of its "real" value or that he dared to attempt more than the minimum at anything. If this is the case, the real value of his effort lies in the effort itself. Excellence is its own reward. Some climb real mountains. Others climb corporate or intellectual mountains, each to his or her own. But not all mountains bring the same social acclaim or acceptance. A world-class drag queen is still a freak to many (even me).

In the end, its all about discretionary effort. I say keep up your good work, don't let the sluggards get you down. They're living in a purgatory of their own making. Leave em to it. Climb your mountain, whatever it is, enjoy the sweat, the view, and a little nourishment, and then pick another peak. Maybe it won't be as high but will be more technical. Only you will know, and you'll have the satisfaction of choosing it, appreciating its significance, and realizing its accomplishment. The more you share that with others, the more likely they are to follow your example.

Best,
Hoot

Goals & the Lack of Them...

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