In the midst of the holiday rush, many begin critiquing the past year, both personally and professionally, and begin to look at goals for the upcoming year.
Goals…oh no, not goals!…why is it that goals have become a four letter word+s in our “what’s wrong” world? Perhaps its our approach!
I see this dog regularly on my morning walk. It fascinates me how when he has a fixed goal in mind, he will sit for long periods of time, looking upwards, oblivious to anything else going on around him. I have thought about my furry friend as I have pondered my own goals for the new year, and how to ask the right questions in a “what’s wrong” world.
Let’s start with a quick exercise. Right now check your mood. Now do a mental rundown of all those things that are not going right in your life personally, professionally, or both. Finished? Now check your mood. Most likely it’s lower than when you first began. Now do a mental rundown of all those things that are going right in your life personally, professionally or both. Finished? Now check your mood. Most likely uplifted.
Too often with goal setting we begin by looking down with…what’s wrong and how can it be fixed? What if we started with looking up with…what’s going right in my life?…what’s working?…what has excited me the most this year? We aren’t saying there are no problems. We all know problems will always be present, but by asking the right questions we transform the problems into opportunities to build up, not tear down. The next question we can ask is what makes these things going on in my life (your answers to the first question) right and exciting? This right question can open up invaluable insight into the character strengths being utilized both personally and professionally. Then still looking up, we can ask the question, what would be ideally right? Here begins the vision building. Next follows two practical questions…what is not yet right ideally and what needs to be done to move closer to the ideal? (Questions adapted from Kurt Wright’s book Breaking the Rules)
Asking the wrong questions can drain one’s energy and focus and lead to apathy or discouragement. Asking wrong questions can lead to moving forward by looking down. This approach seems like a sure fire trip and fall start. But asking the right questions can harness one’s strengths and dreams and lead to an energetic and passionate approach to the new goals ahead. Which do you choose?
