Movitational Speaker Heresy

Today I am going to commit “Motivational Speaker Heresy”. I am going to suggest there is a problem with SMART goals It is a good acronym, and mostly useful, but here are my two challenges: The A stands for achievable. The real question is by who and by when. We all know the breaking the 4 minute mile is not achievable, or that going over 20 kph is not achievable (your head would explode) or heavier than air flight is not achievable. So, by all means, dream big, bat for the stands! The real issue is, do your deadlines stand up? To make your big hairy audacious goals come into reality, you require smaller goals or action steps to build a foundation under the big goal. Without that, it probably falls into the wish category. The second letter in the smart acrostic I have trouble with is R which stands for realistic. What’s realistic? Who decides? Your parents? Your brother-in-law? I am against delusion even more than the next guy, but what if your idea is a game changer? When Chester Colson tried to sell the photocopier, he was clearly unrealistic, did he not know there was perfectly good carbon paper? By the way, his company became Xerox. Tom Edison was told repeatedly the light bulb was but a dangerous joke, because everyone knows, you illuminate with coal oil! Here is to unrealistic dreamers! Till we chat again, Wayne]]>