So, we had our first Mastermind Group meeting of 2008 yesterday and I posed the question “has anyone set themselves any Big Hairy Audacious Goals for 2008 yet?”. And the unanimous answer was “not really”. To a certain extent I expected this – we all have young children, who have only just returned to school after the holiday and we’re all here in Andalucia, Spain, where the general answer to most things is “manana” (tomorrow), so no need to put yourself under too much pressure then…

But another part of me was disappointed – where were my crew of previously keen, go-getting, dynamic, entrepreneurial business women? As the meeting warmed up though, it turned out that actually we had all set some goals for ourselves, though mostly not the Big ones that I was suggesting we could.

What is a goal anyway? And does setting them help? In life coaching terms, a goal is a statement of something that you intend to do in the future within a given timeframe. Writing your goals down is a standard approach to helping you realize your dreams , your ambitions, your desires. A popular version is SMART goal setting – Specific, Measurable, Attainable and Realistic within a certain Time. This seems very sensible indeed, but maybe a goal that you already know is within your capability isn’t the thing that’s really going to inspire you.

Are we being too easy on ourselves? In “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill encourages you to write down your Burning Desire and say it out loud every day to yourself as a form of Autosuggestion to help it become a reality. His focus is on the things that you don’t know for sure that you can achieve – the big dreams, the ones that require a certain amount of faith and risk and hope and a step into the unknown. Choosing a path of true growth indeed.

Maybe it’s a just question of definition? Bob Proctor in his article “Purpose, Vision, Goals” asks you to differentiate between your Vision and your goals, the goals being the daily little steps you take towards achieving your bigger picture. Getting your Vision right is the important thing, then setting the right goals is clearer and as a result you’re more likely to achieve them.

Maybe it’s actually all a question of language? The word “goal” turns some people off immediately, including my partner, David, who prefers to use gentler words like ‘aspiration’. To him, the word ‘goal’ seems corporate, definitive, inflexible, and too black & white. Think of a soccer player scoring a goal – it’s direct, all action. An ‘aspiration’ is more flexible – it allows along the way for change, inspiration, sensitivity and a journey of pure potential. Joe Vitale has an interesting post on his blog this month on a similar theme: http://blog.mrfire.com/secret/why-i-gave-up-intentions/

Certainly traditional goal-setting as a concept doesn’t work for lots of people – it’s just doesn’t get them excited or propel them forward, so as a personal or business development tool it’s unlikely to help. How many people do you know who actually manage to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions?

So, before you go full steam ahead on your resolutions or goals for 2008, why not step back for a moment and consider taking a slightly different approach? Perhaps there’s a way of thinking about what you want to achieve which will ultimately suit you or your business better.

First published on www.evancarmichael.com in January 2008.