What kind of goals do you have in life? How successfully are you in achieving those?
We all have heard that all goals should be SMART, in other words specific. In the sports world, however, newer research has found an alternative to that: open goals.
Compared to a specific goal (e.g. walk 1000 steps a day) an open goal is unspecific and more exploring "let's see how well I can do". Why can open goals be better sometimes?
It can be especially beneficial if you learn something new or if you find the task to be difficult. If you don't know how well you will do in a task, setting an all-or-nothing goal can give you additional stress. In contrast, an open goal can help you to achieve beyond what you think you could do. It takes away "the trauma of failing" and makes the process more enjoyable.
Open goals takes away "the trauma of failing"
While the research supports through data from the sports world. I can see how this has applied to my professional and private life.
When I started out doing business development in consulting, I did not know what I am able to achieve. I was very nervous about this daunting responsibility, knowing a lot might not be within my control. Fortunately, my boss at that time did not give me a concrete target. I told myself: "let's see how much I can sell." I felt much lighter and focused on giving my best. In the same period, I sold my first project.
Last year, I gave birth to my first child. My goal was to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. While I had a specific number in mind, I kept open about how long this will take me. I ate healthily and did my regular yoga exercise. To my surprise, I lost all my weight within less than 6 months.
In both examples, I learned a lot about myself. By not giving myself a specific goal, I enjoyed the process and explored my boundaries. I know what I am capable of achieving so open goals can be converted into specific goals.
How about you? Do you think open goals can help you in your professional and/or private life? Where do you use specific goals vs. open goals nex time?
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