Tripp Fenderson

Health and the subsequent financial challenges from the past 15 months encouraged me to review my goals recently. With 2009 fast approaching, I’m taking the time to line things up to achieve them and have a more productive year.

I wasn’t going to write about my planning but in light of Chris Brogan’s recent article, How small boxes help you succeed, I thought I’d share.

In his article, Chris discusses how setting various constraints around his goals, or building small boxes, forces one to focus on the right things. I’d argue that the building of small boxes not only creates focus but encourages creativity.

Chris boils down his process of goal setting to these 4 major steps:

1. Decide what matters most. Articulate it in the largest possible way. It’s easier to drill down when you have the larger goals in mind.
2. Put constraints around HOW you’ll accomplish the goals you’ve set out to accomplish. Include accountability in the constraints.
3. Figure out what you need to help you achieve those goals. In my case, I need two other people and some more education. You’ll need something else.
4. Make your goals public in some form or another. (This helps with accountability).

My process was similar:

1. Identify major goals for 2009 (done)
2. Create a strategy to achieve them (done)
3. Detail specific tactics in various theaters to support the strategy, leaving room for flexibility (done)
4. Identify the metrics used and the reporting tools needed in order to track my progress (in progress)
5. Schedule time to periodically review those metrics (to do)
6. Ask someone I trust to participate in my accountability (to do)

Given the recent worldwide, economic and geo-political upheavals, we may want to take this one step further and have the same conversation on a national level. It’s time to rethink.

[photo credit: Ethan Bloch - My online health goals]