Dear Readers,
I apologize for the lack of entries! The Professor has been busily seeking betterment in a graduate program (Yes, even Professor Betterment has to take steps to be better) and hasn't had much of a chance to reach out to you.
Today's lesson is groundbreaking, however. Sometimes the simplest things can be so monumental. Now we all know that Professor Betterment is big on setting goals. Goals are vital to success! Goals are dreams with a deadline! Being goal-driven is the only way to accomplish great things! But...we are Human. And as members of the Betterment Society, we know what that means. It means we have to give ourselves credit, in our "kind, but firm" way, and allow for the occasional slip off the bandwagon.
In other words, we have to approach major accomplishments (like losing weight, getting straight A's, nabbing a better job, etc.) as a DIRECTION we are heading in, as opposed to a Goal. Why you ask? Well, for several reasons:
1) We have a tendency to get discouraged if we don't reach a particular goal, sometimes even giving up. Not so with a direction...you never "reach" a direction, it is a constant forward movement.
2) We often have trouble setting appropriate goals, usually mking them too difficult or too easy. Directions are set only once. Health, wealth, prosperity...you name it. If it is a direction, you will keep moving that way, forever. When it comes to major life shifts, goals are for amateurs!
3) We sometimes can't remember all our goals. Heck, we even need a whiteboard to keep track of them! Remember, goals are great for things that can be evenly broken down, checked off a list, made into segments, etc. But when we don't have our planner in front of us at the restaurant, or we are stressed at our job, or we are in a hurry, Goals can slip into the cracks in our minds. Directions can be easily recalled and used to guide us through life in a simpler way.
4) The Slip effect...Basically, we set a goal, and if we screw up, that goal simply shifts further away. We justify the slip by saying we'll make up for it later or double our efforts next time. It's easy for goals to be posponed indefinately in this manner. However, Directions can't be postponed. Directions are constant. Directions are what really shift behaviors, and cause people to shed their shells of inactivity.
So, how do you choose a Direction? Great question! Goals really can be appropriate for projects and the like, but whenever possible a direction may be easier to utilize on a daily basis. If your Goal can be reached quicker by having a general direction, summed up in a few words, it behooves you to think one up.
For example:
It's 7 am. You are a little tired, maybe even a little lazy...
Goal - Go to the gym everyday. Reaction: I'll go tomorrow, and work out extra hard! Future result: Goal continually slips forward in time, health gets no closer.
Direction - Become a person that constantly strives for better health. Reaction: I'll go now, because that's who I am. Future result: Over time, the better decision-making process wins and the body becomes healthier.
So, plot your goals, list them on your whiteboard, give them your best effort, state them appropriately and support them with even-sized steps and rewards. But choose directions for who you really are (and who you want to become) and you'll find the goals may even take care of themselves...That's the Betterment way.
Talk to you soon,
Professor Betterment
