Sticky Goal Setting: Learning for Better Living
Posted: October 28, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 6 Comments
Goal Net
To all my readers, mom and dad, I apologize. It has been awhile and I’ve had a few things weighing on my mind. You know those phases, things seem out of sorts, and well they need to be sorted. So now I’m back.
I’ve been reading Keith Ferrazzi’s Who’s Got Your Back, a book that deals with creating peer support systems to excel in professional and real life. The book is almost completed, but I re-read a section on goal setting last night.
I found it apt as the year is almost at a close. I’m sure I’m not the only one who battles with making goals stick, from the day-to-day, to the yearly and beyond goals. Ferrazzi suggests a streamlined approach. Instead of laying out a goal, look behind the goal at the steps, or process, necessary to achieve it.
Two Types of Goal Setting
Ferrazzi presents two types of goals, performance and learning. “Performance goals,” he states, “imply a finite result, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” He cites as examples, landing a job, losing 10 pounds or boosting sales by 10 percent. Conversely, learning goals “involve thinking about the rainbow, not just the pot of gold,” such as picking up new language to get the job, or refining marketing tactics.
My Performance and Learning Goals
Performance Goals:
- Pass the February Texas Bar Exam
- Get a job
- Blog three times a week
- Decrease my 5K time to 30 minutes
- Save money
Learning Goals:
- Learn how to condense great amounts information for greater understanding and recall.
- Learn new networking techniques and strategies.
- Find five new techniques for creating and drafting quality content.
- Learn how BMW maintenance/repair (saving potentially hundreds of dollars)
That is all I have right now, and that’s enough I think! I’d like to hear from y’all. What are some performance and learning goals out there?
//A.J.
And for a later post: A.J.’s Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals
ajbingham.wordpress.com 
As always, quick and to the point information I will take to the bank. But this annoying box that pops up must be eliminated 🙂 You are a phenomenally driven man Mr. Bingham, and your posts inspire me. Thank You!
If you’re referring to the verification deal, I have no control over that. Glad you liked the post. You’re an ambitious guy and I’d like to hear about your goals.
Very thought provoking post. It’s definitely good sometimes to consolidate all the thoughts in your head about where one is going in life.
My performance goals are to graduate law school with some semblance of a GPA, pass the July Bar Exam, sign my first client at the agency (generally be successful with the business), and be happy everyday.
Learning goals include, improve negotiation and agreement drafting skills, read an outside of school book a week, generally grow as a person intellectually, socially, etc.
Good work, dude.
performance goals
– get a job
– get a job
– get a job
learning goals:
– expand cooking skills/ cook with more new ingredients
Thanks Marion. I suggest “Bargaining for Advantage,” and “Getting to Yes” for negotiation skills. I expect big things from you.
Linda let me know if you ever need a test stomach. Also, I agree with getting the job as a performance goal, but what about learning goals that get you there?
What about becoming the next Julia Child, but skinnier and better looking?