{"id":50567,"date":"2017-07-16T20:32:32","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T04:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=50567"},"modified":"2017-09-12T14:11:59","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T22:11:59","slug":"forget-smart-goals-and-try-this-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/forget-smart-goals-and-try-this-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget SMART Goals and Try This Instead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For four years, I struggled using SMART Goals that got me nowhere. I experienced psychological pressure and pain from always feeling like I would never be enough until I reached some magically self-created utopia through achieving my goals.<\/p>\n

I never ended up accomplishing most of them.<\/p>\n

I remember desperately working to be fit for a fitness test; training so hard that I ended up giving myself a chronic heel injury that I still have to this day. In reaching for my goals like they\u2019d somehow make me complete, I pushed myself past my limit. With every goal I had, this theme would repeat itself.<\/p>\n

I went after each goal like it\u2019d make me or break me.<\/p>\n

Eventually, after nearly half a decade, I realized that goals aren\u2019t about belonging, or reaching a safe place. They\u2019re not there so that I can prove myself to anyone. They\u2019re just there to help me move forward, to grow, and become a better person, however simplistic that may sound.<\/p>\n

Compass Goals Changed Everything For Me<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the course of 2016, I managed to achieve several different goals. They include reading over seventy books, improving my income, traveling to various countries, and reaching\u00a0something that\u2019s a lot closer to my dream body.<\/p>\n

But more importantly, I achieved my goals in a far more grounded way. Compared to previous years, I felt more excited throughout my journey. I didn\u2019t feel like I was\u00a0grasping<\/em>\u00a0and yearning helplessly, with flailing arms, for my goals. The beautiful side effect of that was that I was less wrapped up in my own bubble,<\/p>\n

I share all of this to show you that positive internal change is more than possible, even with the deepest experiences of disappointment\u2014year after year. No matter how many times you\u2019ve felt like a failure before. No matter how many times you haven\u2019t stuck to your goals.<\/p>\n

Compass Goals vs. SMART Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

A goal becomes a\u00a0compass goal<\/em>\u00a0when it improves your present in a meaningful, exciting way. It\u2019s there to teach you something about yourself and the world, but you\u2019re not too attached to the outcome you\u2019re going after.<\/em><\/p>\n

With a series of compass goals, life becomes a mixture of interconnecting wormholes that move you toward greater growth and fulfilment.<\/p>\n

Pursuing goals is a lot like riding a bicycle toward different destinations. You need to know when to speed up, based on the terrain that\u2019s in front of you. You need to know when to slow down, based on the obstacles you eventually come to face. And you have to make those decisions while remembering that you want to get to those various places on time\u2014while maintaining your sanity throughout the journey.<\/p>\n

Even more importantly, you need to know if a goal or destination is even worth going for in the first place. You can\u2019t take a trip to a planned destination lightly, and some goals will take longer to reach. The exploration we\u2019re about to delve into will show you exactly how to decide which of your goals are worth going for, and how to go about pursuing them.<\/p>\n

But first, let\u2019s make something clear.<\/p>\n

Your Life Will Always Be About the Climb<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s this idea in our culture that suggests that we\u2019ll magically \u201cmake it\u201d once we achieve a certain milestone. It could be anything from releasing a viral video, winning\u00a0American Idol<\/em>, or joining an NBA Team.<\/p>\n

Through the slipstream of celebrity culture, with rap songs with lyrics \u201cmummy, I made it,\u201d we\u2019ve been subtly co-opted into this idea that our very sense of self-worth, is dependent on reaching some magical dreamland.<\/p>\n

But this is merely an illusion. One that, I regret to say, I succumbed to for over four years. But while reaching a goal can radically improve the quality of your life, it\u2019s not the end-all and be-all.<\/p>\n

Let me use three big goals to show you why you will never \u201cmake it\u201d and why you should be thankful:<\/p>\n