Posts Tagged ‘setting goals’

In the last few posts I have been talking a lot about starting new things and being successful at them. I discussed how important it is to limit your focus so you can spend more time at each thing you attempt. Something that is just as important, is to clearly understand your purpose and goals with whatever activity your try.

This idea may seem may seem a little weird at first. You are starting something because it looks fun or maybe because it will help your career right? Those are certainly good reasons to start something new. Unfortunately, they are too vague to push you up the steep learning curve of starting something you have never done before.

I believe there are really two distinct points you should consider when starting something new.

Motivation: Why are you pursuing this activity? What’s driving you to learn? The stronger and more clear your reason(s), the more likely you will be to to get over the learning curve and enjoy the benefits of the activity.

What is your goal: What level of mastery do you plan to get in this new activity. The better you understand this, the easier it is to plan out your method of learning and know how much work is ahead of you.

Saying, “I want to learn Spanish” gives you a basic understanding of some of the activities and studying you will need to do. However, it doesn’t set a goal line. Saying, “I want to learn conversational Spanish” gives you a idea of the amount of words you will need to know and also what those words might be. It also let’s you know where your goal line is. You have learned enough Spanish once you can communicate comfortably in basic Spanish conversations.

As you can see, the larger your goal, the stronger your motivation will need to be. Should your goal be to learn to speak fluently in Spanish, you would need to spend a lot more time learning.

Clearly understanding the amount of work it will take to learn something isn’t designed to stop you from trying something new, but it should help you choose and achieve the things that matter most to you.

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Instead of staying in the warm climate here on Miyakojima, my wife and I flew to the US to visit family and friends for the holidays. It had been a little over a year since my last visit, so it was really great to see everyone. We stayed in the US for almost a month and did quite a bit (more posts on those adventures later). However, entering a completely new environment can cause you to lose focus on your goals. So how do you get back on track once your train has derailed and gone crashing over the cliff? Okay, yes, that may be a little dramatic.

First, let me start of by listing some of the goals I was pursuing before I left to for the States.

• Lean To Make a Living On Line- One of the reasons I was able to move to the small island of Miyakojima was because I decided to start my own business online. I am pretty good with technology, but by no means a computer wiz. This meant that there was a ton of learning and a lot of trial and error. This was my biggest goal. It was a little scary since I gave up my job and moved someplace totally new to start something I had never tried before. But if I could make it work, then then I would be able to live the life I wanted. I put a lot of time in on this one. Spent a lot of time online testing the things I learned, failing and trying again, reading books to learn more, and then trying again. This is where I spent the majority of my time.

• Get in Shape- Sitting at a desk working on a computer all day and a two and a half hour round trip commute didn’t leave me with much time or energy to exercise. Not to mention I was spending a lot of my spare time reading books on self improvement, time management, and business. After moving to Miyakojima, I dedicated a small portion of each day to getting in shape. I have never been a big fan of gyms and actually prefer to exercise on my own. I started running 4-5 times a week, purchased  the Professional Push-up Pro and installed a pull-up bar in my house for upper and mid body work out. Created a lower body work out consisting of things such as squats, lunges, and jumping exercises, and was also swimming  couple times a week while the temperature was still warm.

• Improve my Japanese- Learning a language (especially one as difficult as Japanese) is ever going. The more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. My goal was to drastically increase my vocabulary and character recognition. I already had a number books including study guides for the Japanese language proficiency test level 2 (business level). I also purchase some great programs for the Itouch called Kanji Flip and Japanese Flip (both great programs for anyone wanting to improve their Japanese). I would read my books or use the programs for about 30 minutes each night before going to bed. I find that right before bed works good for me as I usually wake up the next morning retaining most of it. Something I discovered as a child when I had to recite Shakespeare in 4th grade. Is this true for everyone?

• Train karate- This was a goal that fit in perfectly with getting in shape. Due to lack of time while I was in Tokyo it was something I had mostly stopped doing. Since it is something that I have done since age 14 and something I really enjoy, I decided that I would start training again when I moved to Miyakojima. After settling in here, I found a nice flat place overlooking the ocean. I could train as much as I wanted with out being bothered, and I did so for about an hour a day, three times a week.

• Improving time management-Learning to better manage my time was what gave me a confidence to venture out and do my own thing in the first place. However, starting my own thing meant that I would have to entirely keep my own schedule. After a little experimenting I found that setting my own schedule actually allowed me to be more efficient and get more done. I was able to do things when I could do them best and focus on them. Trying to find time for the other goals meant that I had to be very efficient getting my work done.

The Derailment

So what happened when I got to the states? I was in a new time zone, a new environment, and new temptations. Quite quickly my priorities began to change. Being back in the states with no constraints other than time was like being in candy store where everything is free for an hour.

Continuing to learn and build a business was important, but I had no internet and I could only visit with my friends and family for one month. It might be another couple years before I would have the chance to see them again. Staying in shape was still important, but it was the winter holiday season and I hadn’t had authentic American food for a long time. It’s not too easy to come by here in Japan. The fact it was so cold out side (it snowed twice while I was there) meant it wasn’t as easy to exercise outside. Since I was only there for a month, I wasn’t gonna waste time studying Japanese in the US where I wasn’t even going to be using it. Time management also went out the door as there wasn’t really too much to manage since I had mostly given up most of the things I needed time for.

Getting Back On Track

So how do you get back on track after derailing? I think the first thing is to realize and accept that getting knocked off your plan will occasionally happen. And most importantly, that it’s okay. We have all set goals and resolutions for ourselves where we got off track and then beat ourselves up for quitting. Realizing that there will be setbacks allows you to set up plans to get back on track. There will always be minor setbacks, the key is just to keep making forward progress.

I find that the best way to get back on track is start a little behind the progress that I had previously achieved. For example, say you create the goal to run 10 kilometers. Running 1 kilometer three days a week and then adding a kilometer every two weeks to eventually get to the 10 kilometers. By the 10th week you are up to five kilometers. You’re right on track with your goal and you are feeling great.

Then things happen that cause you to get off track. You get sick, get sent on a business trip, or go on a vacation. During this period you aren’t able to exercise at all and your diet gets worse. This is the point where most people seem to give up. They think, “well at least I got as fa as I did, but I don’t want to start all over again.” Since you knew this was going to happen you have a plan to get back on track. You body is no longer in the top condition it was, so you start out running 3-4 kilometers and then work your way back up to 5 in no time at all.

One mistake that I have made, and I am sure that many others have as well, is to over do it. After missing a couple of my planned days I try to double up my training, study, or whatever I am doing to make up for this. This usually isn’t the best way. Your body and mind will fight against it and you will be less likely to continue now that you have a resistance to the pain you felt by going overboard. If you double the speed of your train after getting back on the tracks, you will probably just crash again on the next turn.

Staying on Track-Full Steam Ahead

I have found the best way to stay on track is to write down your goals and look at them as often as possible. Also write down your plans for when you get off track. Writing down your goals seems to set your mind in motion and makes achieving them a priority. Looking at them on a regular basis helps to keep you focused. And when your train does derail, then you have your written plan for exactly how to get back on track. Give it a try. Start with something small and then work your way up.

These are my thoughts on the matter. I would love to hear yours…