“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
–Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
I was talking to a friend the other day and she said, “I need to hire a coach.” “Why?” I asked. She said, “Because I want to figure out where I am going and I want to get there.” I said, “What are you doing now?” She said, “I show up each day and I do my work and get what I get.”
And I thought, “Wow; this really is the definition of coaching and of positive change.” Indeed, this is the definition of ownership and purposefulness. This is what successful people know – they figure out where they want to go and they take ownership for getting there.
“If you only walk long enough…” you are sure to get SOMEWHERE. But how do you know if you will get where you want to go? And while we are on the subject where do you want to go?
“Purposefulness” means acting with purpose. It means having a clear outcome, that you are committed to and moving toward it, “with purpose.” Purposefulness is useful on many levels. It is a time management strategy for one thing. Think about how much extraneous and unnecessary action you may be taking if you are not clear on where you want to go. Then think about how much easier it will be to decide what to do in your days, weeks, months, when you know where you want to arrive at the end of the year. It is as simple as asking yourself every day, “does this action help me get where I want to go?” It is a very useful guiding principle.
This is the difference between setting out to go for a walk and setting out to walk to work or your friend’s house, or the store. In one you can wander. In the other, you will move in a particular direction. At each turn, you will ask yourself, “does this direction get me to my destination?”
This is particularly true if you need to reach your destination by a certain time. This is another element of outcome-creation – a time element. It is more purposeful to say, “I am going to lose 10 pounds by March 1
, 2018” than it is to say, “I want to lose weight.”
Note also that it is more useful to designate the amount of weight. This is what we call a “well-formed” outcome. The more detail you put into the outcome, the more clear you will be on “how” to get there.
And so, you have options. You can come to our purpose and outcome creation workshop on January 16 (Tuesday) or on January 27 (Saturday) and you can walk through a process that will leave you with clear outcomes and a way to get there. (Scroll down for more info.) Or you could sit down yourself and ask “what do I want by the end of next year?” Then you will have guidelines and a purposeful direction.
But do something. Unless you just want to go for a walk. And that’s okay too.
______________
If you would like to intentionally create your 2018, join us in January!
Beyond Goal-Setting: Make 2018 the Best Year of Your Career
If you do not know what you want, you are unlikely to get what you want.
In January, McLaren Coaching is bringing you a workshop that will help you decide what you want from 2018.
Success is the result of committed action.
In this workshop, you will clearly determine what you want from 2018 and you will learn what it takes to get what you want.
When you truly commit to a “goal,” it becomes a “result” by the end of the year.
This is the difference between a “New Year’s Resolution” and a “declaration,” “decision” or “outcome.”
It is the difference between a hope and an intention.
It is the difference between just wanting something and actively committing to it.
You will leave this workshop with:
· Clearly-articulated outcomes for your coming year
· A practical plan to obtain your outcomes
· A system to stay committed to your outcomes
· A tool for creating future outcomes
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/mclaren-coaching-3074191754?s=80605785
January 16 (Tuesday)
9am — 12pm
OR
January 27 (Saturday)
9am — 12pm
Registration starts at 8:30am
Held at Sierra 2 in Curtis Park, Sacramento
$149/person
$140/person for 2 or more from same company
From a former attendee:
“Turning wishes, desires or goals into outcomes is not as hard as you might think once you take committed action toward your goal. Sitting down and writing down my actual outcome for the coming year has been so valuable. Putting pen to paper and outlining the steps I need to take to achieve my outcome makes the outcome seem more achievable. I highly recommend working with Cami on setting outcomes for yourself. The experience is invaluable.”
Jennifer Duggan
Duggan Law Corporation
