Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

How I define my goals has a large affect on how I perceive my successes and failures. It also affects how I see others in their efforts.

Define my goals. When I reach them, I am a success. How many people do we know who are successes? There is a key to how we define our goals.

“My goal is to sell 1,000 of my books.”

Stated another way, that goal is, “My goal is to have 1,000 people each buy a copy of my book.”

I cannot accomplish that. That requires 1,000 other people—who I do not control—to do something for me so that I am a success.

The goal should be within my control. Let’s try these goals:

1. “My goal is to write a first draft of a book.”
2. “My goal is to revise my first draft of a book.”
3. “My goal is to put my book on an online sales platform.”
4. “My goal is to post ads for my book on a social media site.”

All these goals are in my power to achieve. No one outside of my control is involved in any of these. I would be a success at least four times. How many people do you know who can claim that?

I think defining goals as things within my power alone to achieve is a worthwhile exercise. If you manage the efforts of others, trying defining your goals or expectations for them in a like manner.