Running a marathon. Becoming an executive. Overcoming a major life challenge. Life goals drive us; they are our visions of fulfillment that motivate us to be the best we can be. The vast majority of people that my Institute has studied have goals, but many are not really life goals, and when they are, too often they are fuzzy. Even shorter term goals often fall short. For example, a mere 8% of New Year’s resolutions are actually kept? 8 percent. How can it be that we fall so abysmally short on our goals, year after year, only to set the same one the following year? Perhaps we aren’t the best at setting goals? Or, perhaps it’s the journey where we fall short. We know the end goal but haven’t quite figured out the how to make that trip. This is where lighthouse goals shine.
Lighthouse goals are just as the name implies. When our goals seem distant from us, lighthouse goals provide guidance on our course. Essentially, they are steps on our journey of achieving our chosen life goal. These lighthouse goals do not ensure success in achieving life goals, but they can be a valuable tool to help target our life journey.
While a New Year’s resolution is certainly not a life goal, it may provide an illustrative example of how lighthouse goals might help. How can we increase that 8%, or at least, increase our chances of completing our resolutions? A common example of a New Year’s resolution is to get into shape (Let’s be real, we’re all guilty of that one…). But let’s assume it is part of a larger life goal of fitness. Your lighthouse goals can be a key step in reaching that ultimate goal of health. What might they be in this example? Perhaps they include getting to an intermediate weight or percent body fat. Or, better yet, perhaps tying your fitness to a team goal with others who will help you do your part in the team goal (think about a sports team).
Diet is another notorious killer of fitness, but rarely do people move from a daily dose of soda and French fries to a vegan. Instead, you are more likely to be successful with an intermediate lighthouse goal of substituting (not giving up!) something you eat that is unhealthy for something more nutritious. It might be substituting that ice cream fetish for a tasty frozen yogurt, or changing fries two days a week for jasmine rice or some roasted veggies that you love.
Let’s pick a longer scope issue – your work and career. It is one thing to say you have a life goal to become a top executive and another to set intermediate lighthouse goals to help you on that path. Lighthouse goals might include becoming a manager, becoming respected as a leader with people who will follow you, or having the education needed to succeed in a particular industry or profession. A student who wishes to become a judge might set earlier lighthouse goals of getting a law degree, having a successful internship with a leading judge, and performing well on earlier tests that allow you admission to good schools.
The old adage of how do you cross a challenging river? Know where the stepping stones are. Your lighthouse goals are the stepping stones to the other side – your life goals.
To achieve your goals consistently, three things must come into play. You must have adequate tools and resources and education, to give you the ability to complete your goal. You must then align your lifestyle towards this goal. The things you do in your everyday life must be directed towards your end goals. Having the know-how to get in shape means nothing if you do not act in a way that leads you to that end. Lastly, you must truly commit to your chosen goals. If you are not motivated or engaged, how long will you keep trying?