You’re supposed to check the alignment on your tires at least once a year. So on top of ensuring a smooth ride, you get benefits like gas mileage and proper road contact. That got me thinking. Shouldn’t we also check our personal alignment to our goals?
Introduction
I’m going to beat the ‘take your care to the body shop’ metaphor to death in this article. I didn’t realize there were so many parallels.
Here’s the agenda
- Common Signs of Misalignment
- Final Thoughts
Common Signs of Misalignment
- You get new tires.
When you create a new goal, ask yourself if this is something you want. A common pitfall for goals is setting one that you’re only interested in because you saw a compelling YouTube video. It’s likely that in a week, you realize that you’re not interested in pursuing that goal at all. Funny enough, I started noticing that my algorithms were good indicators of what my goals were. If I wasn’t being flooded with video suggestions or random blog posts about something, it meant that the internet didn’t think I was interested in those topics.
By being mindful at the beginning of the goal process, you allow yourself to ensure this is a goal and not a distraction. (READ: Creating Your Momentum | LinkedIn - for further distinction of goals versus distractions)
- You lower or lift your vehicle.
I’m going to interpret this one as hitting a massive milestone or life-changing event. So, for instance, if a milestone was getting a degree, promotion, or certification, that should also indicate a quick goal alignment is due.
As you level up, check to see if your tasks to support your goal are still appropriate. As your qualifications and experience increase, so should the expectations you have on yourself. If the barometer of success remains the same month after month, it could be a sign that you might be keeping the bar too low.
- Suspension parts that affect the tire angles are replaced or adjusted.
Environment changes. So much can happen in between the time you start a long-term goal and finish. For example, you move to a new city, get a new job, and meet new people. I’ve written about raising the average of those you surround yourself with. If your situation radically changes, it’s foolish to think that your strategy can remain the same.
- You’ve had a fender-bender or a hard impact with a curb or road debris.
Failure is a part of the journey. The most significant impact on my sales career came from when I stopped pursuing a ‘yes’ and started pursuing a ‘no’. It changed the game. Suddenly, I didn’t end my day after landing five meetings. Since my mentality shifted, I was able to view the negative outcome as a personal win.
- It’s been a year since your last one.
This one speaks for itself. Occasionally, we can go on autopilot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you’ll want to schedule some time for you to check in on your goals. If we are supposed to check in on our tires annually, I think that should be the bare minimum for your goals.
- You notice uneven tire wear, steering pull, or an off-center steering wheel.
If your results have stalled or you haven’t made any progress toward them, do an honest assessment of whether this is a goal you genuinely care about.
We’ve all had New Year’s resolutions that meant the world to us on January 1st. By March, those same resolutions haven’t been thought of in months. Take stock of what that goal was and why it failed. Sometimes you realize you just don’t want to be vegan. That’s okay. There are other ways to be healthy.
Final Thoughts
Achieving your goals is hard.
Be precious with the goals you take on, and be sure to surround yourself with people who encourage you to pursue them. Make sure you want your goals. Otherwise, they can veer into distraction territory. Also, trick the internet into helping you. If you’re going to be good at x, watch people talk about x. Invest in relevant learning resources. Acknowledge that failing stings, but it’s sure a great teacher.
Good luck!
Is there anything I missed? Is there a topic you’d like me to cover? Feel free to shoot me a message or leave a comment!
Thanks for reading!