In Sir John Whitmore’s book ‘Coaching for Performance’, he outlines a fabulous model for goal setting in a conversation. It’s formula follows an acronym – GROW – which stands for goal, reality check, opportunities and when.
Notice something important about that formula. G, for goal, comes BEFORE, R for reality check. Most people start figuring out their goals from where they are right now. They start from a current reality. The problem with that is the limited perspective of the present often creates a limited outcome for the future. We tend to create goals that are reigned in, never looking at possibilities, only perceived realities.
G is a magic wand, go-for-broke possibility.
An example would be a 30-something woman who wanted to return to University to complete her Masters degree. Sounds great, but if her R – reality – gets in the way of the goal setting, she may say to herself – “well, I cannot afford that type of expense right now and how could I manage university and a family?” So, she may settle for a correspondence course in something interesting.
But if she accepted her goal of going back to University to begin with, it is possible she could create the solutions to deal with the obstacles that may be getting in the way, even if that means delaying the degree a year or so.
Action – Right now, identify a goal you have. Was it set from current reality or from possibilities? How is it limited? What can you do to remove any limitations?
Starting with a limited look at current perceived realities means your best future can only be a new and better past. Always use a magic wand to set goals, then move on to your reality check.