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As December creeps around the corner, many people begin to think about New Year’s resolutions. From that conversation sprouts other conversations that follow the topic of short-term and long-term goals. When someone describes their long-term goal, I ask them two questions:
(1) Is the goal ATTAINABLE?
(2) Do you have a REAL means of getting there?
By answering my long list of rather difficult questions, most folks I talk to quickly come to realize that their goals are not unattainable. In essence, I become the destroyer of dreams. When I serve up a dose of vivid reality, the response goes something like…
“Dr. Marc, I know I can achieve _________! I know it in my heart! Anything is achievable if you believe it! If I believe I will achieve my goal, then the Law of Attraction will deliver it to me. I hate people like you – people who are sooooooo negative. Most leaders tell us to never give up on our dreams – to keep going after what we want. You suck Dr. Marc!”
OKAY…
Most leaders who tell you to “never give up on your dreams” ASSume that you have a plan that will bring your dream(s) or goal(s) to fruition. They ASSume that you have a way to get there.
More often than not, there is a dream, but no plan. And when someone comes along and opens the blinds, the intensity of the light streaming through the window often causes some to wince (aka react).
People don’t like to be told that their goal is not attainable, and believe me – I do not enjoy delivering the bad news. On the other hand, I would rather see someone step back from investing their effort in pursuing something that is unrealistic and unattainable than I would watch someone go over the cliff.
Before you pursue a goal, you need to ask if it’s attainable. In other words, if you announce your goal to be something like, “I plan on being a millionaire by the time I’m 40!” – but you are going to continue doing what you’re currently doing, then it stands to reason that you are not going to attain that goal. Upon hearing this, I have two choices:
(1) Give the guy an “Attaboy…you go for it man!”
(2) Pull him aside and help him expose his own reality.
I vote for #2
Not all goals and dreams are attainable simply because they pop out of your head. What you WANT vs. what you can ACHIEVE are two different stories. And if you are like most people, there is a very good chance that many of your goals and dreams will be miles beyond what’s realistically achievable.
Avoid falling short in achieving your goals, and then holding a party for all of your efforts. In my world, you don’t deserve a party or any credit for “trying” when, in reality, the attempt had no chance of succeeding. Make sure that what you want to achieve, is truly…ATTAINABLE.
Have A GREAT Day!
…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team