Do you have one wildly important goal? Maybe it’s writing a novel or finishing your PhD or running a marathon.
I achieved one of my big goals this year and have been waffling a little in terms of productivity and direction, so I pulled The 4 Disciplines of Execution1 off my shelf to re-read about wildly important goals.
A Wildly Important Goal (or WIG) is the single, most important goal that you choose to focus on. This is the goal that matters most. And by focusing on this goal, you concentrate your efforts. You focus on less so you can achieve more. Focusing on the wildly important is the first of the four disciplines of execution.
I usually choose one career WIG and one personal WIG per year. And after achieving this year’s career goal I did not set another one, which might be why I have been churning away on the hamster wheel of the day-to-day.
Because what happens after the novel is finished or the PhD is defended or the marathon is over? You might find yourself in this whirlwind of focus on other people’s urgencies and priorities and not your own.
Not only do I need a new WIG, but I need a process. A WIG is an outcome. It is what you hope to achieve. A process is the action you repeat on a regular basis to achieve the WIG.
I want to really think about my next goal and not jump into something for the sake of accomplishment. I want to enjoy the journey. And I want the journey to be my own and not a daily response to frantic emails from others.
The authors of The 4 Disciplines of Execution go beyond the WIG and explain how to execute the goal. Goal setting is the easy part. The harder part is designing a process to achieve that goal.
If my goal is to write a novel, my process might be to write for 15 minutes each morning before work. If my goal is to defend my PhD in the next year, my process might be to read one relevant scientific journal article each night before I go to bed. If my goal is to run a marathon, my process might be to increase my distance by 5 miles each week . . . I’m not sure if that is realistic, because I’ve never trained for a marathon, but I think you get the picture.
In this way, even if I fail to achieve my WIG, I’ve made progress!
If I put a process into place, and follow that process on a routine basis, and enjoy that process, I’m a happier person even if I don’t achieve my goal.
Let me explain. Sometimes you don’t have complete control over whether you achieve your goals. Let’s say your WIG is to publish your novel or pass your dissertation defense or win the marathon. There are other people involved in all of those WIGs.
You don’t always control the outcome, the publisher, the committee, or your competition. But you do have control over your process.
Choose a process that is simple, enjoyable, something you can do regularly (daily or weekly or whatever). Make it a ritual. Light a candle. Sip some tea. Play some music. That way, you can continue the process long after the novel is published or the PhD is finished or the marathon is over. You become a writer, a scientist, a runner.
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4 Disciplines of Execution has always been on my reading list and I have shied away from reading it. After your post, I'll move it back up the list.
Love this-I always need reminding that working towards a goal needs a routine process!