Goals
One night during the autumn of 2009 I grabbed a sheet of paper and began writing down a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish in both the short and medium terms. I cared not for neatness, as the ideas flowed freely onto the page designed to me read only by me. In around 3 minutes the crumpled A4 sheet had been filled.
A scan of the list
Writing a list of goals was part of a transformation that began a few months earlier. At around 1:00am on the 27th of December 2008 I sat bolt upright in bed. Although I had just enjoyed a great Christmas/Boxing Day break, it suddenly dawned on me that I was stuck in a rut and desperate to get out of my job. Up until that point I had been waiting for opportunities to come to me, but I now could see that it would take a proactive work ethic to change my situation. I stood up and turned on the computer. It had been some time since I had updated my resume or even searched for advertised jobs. A lot of my best ideas appear in a sleep-deprived state, so I worked into the night, searching for interesting companies that I might want to work for. As the sun began to rise I jumped on my push bike and cycled the empty streets with a refreshed outlook on the year ahead.
Skip forward to the autumn night that I wrote the list.
If asked at the time, I could have easily articulated the ideas floating through my head, but they still felt very abstract and nebulous. It was only once printed on a piece of paper that the goals seemed to assume a more tangible form. I attached the list to the wall just behind my computer monitor. For the coming months it would serve as a silent reminder of the things that were important to me, and subtly keep me on the path towards my goals.
Note that the list did not include a point about keeping my desk tidy.
Almost a year later, I can report that I have been mostly successful in my pursuit of the goals:
- Find another job/venture and quit ARCBS.
While I do not currently have another job/venture, it became clear to that resigning from my job and starting a job search as a ‘free agent’ was the best way to fulfill this goal. Yesterday was my last day as Apheresis Panel Coordinator with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. - Continue expansion/promotion of Green Drinks, whilst retaining essence/credibility.
As recently mentioned, Green Drinks Brisbane is still going strong, and I remain happy with the essence/credibility of the event and the purpose it serves within the community. - Continue posting cartoons online. Link cartoons to relevant people at relevant times.
My cartoon website has exploded in popularity since writing the list of goals. My website has had more than 500,000 hits since that time, and I have begun designing cartoons for clients on paid commission. - Start a blog in parallel to cartoon website
This is that blog. - Create more CONTENT, procrastinate less.
Still improvement to be made with this one, but I am gradually learning the things that increase productivity in the areas that I try my hand at. - Hold at least 2 Frottage Cottage parties per year.
Unfortunately we have had only one sharehouse party in the last 12 months!
Below the line was a medium-term goal of home ownership that I am still some way from achieving.
To conclude, this piece is a testimony to the power of writing down goals. Although I had previously heard of others that swore by the practice, this was my first direct experience. Something psychologically different happens when your goals are written down and displayed in a prominent place. Give it a go and see what happens.