More about goals, vision and dreams
May 27, 2009
Something else that can happen is that an end goal, ‘the dream’, can become a fantasy, divorced from day to day life and from reality. Focusing on it too much, researching it, tweaking and pimping it can become a displacement activity rather than an inspiration. The fantasy can take over and become counter-productive.
Dreaming is easy; a lot easier than slogging on through.
I found this interesting because I have found that there are two schools of thought on the vibrance of the dream/goal. Some say keep it fuzzy and general (Anthony Grant Phd) and others to be very specific and see it in colourful detail. (Lou Tice). I have found that being too specific can be very frustrating when you can’t achieve it exactly as you see it. (great discussion topic methinks).
Gill Lucas, Life Coach
About goals. What I’m talking about here is the long-term goal and vision rather than short-term goals, which do need to be concrete and vibrant. I think two things are at work: philosophy and temperament.
Philosophy. Behaviourist coaching models – get the outside (behaviour) right and the inside (attitude/mindset) follows (NLP modelling is a very clear example of this) – need to make the vision as concrete , clear and compelling as possible. Achievement of that goal is what drives the action, so it must be.
My Gestalt background points to a more ‘inside out’ view – get the mindset and attitude right and behaviour will follow. Mindset, emotional connection to the goal and attitude are the drivers – and flexibility and adaptation to external and internal changes have to be built in to the goal-setting activity. If the vision is too rigid, it will collapse over time.
Temperament. Experience also shows me that for many people the more flexible approach to long-term goals is more effective. And it is for me, too, so my coaching style follows my own preferences. Despite that, I know that some of my clients need clear end-goals, and are excited and motivated by them. I’d say that they are more action-oriented and ‘behaviourist ‘ by temperament, so I have to adapt my philosophy to accommodate them. It’s like any coaching situation – it all depends on the individual.