A while ago, I wrote about a post which was based upon the nimrod like question a lot of employers ask "where are you going to be five years from now".
Basically, heck, I said most people dont know where they will be five HOURS from now, let alone 5 years.
Asking them to set goals they've never set on the spur of the moment (if they had those five year plans, they likely would not be applying for a job with these employers anyway, and they know it very well) is tough even for a doer (sometimes, you just dont know where you'll BE as opposed to "want to be" and even if you ask "where do you want to be" - well - thats none of anyone's business except the person's).
Classic case of NEGATIVE energy being spread around and demotivation by the employer i.e. you have to stay in our Bozo job, because guess what, you'll never make anything of yourself except in an indirect "paper pusher" sort of way or personally (depending upon if it's a question on a jackass form or some jack/jill ass asking you).
The post is here.
But, I realize, as always, I missed a tiny little something ...
An elderly gentleman (I'd assume, heh) from OH asked me the following
"Dream big or NOT? Think big or not?
He said it in a large paragraph, but that was bascially what he asked.
He replied to the email in question above while asking (he's behind on the emails, and with all the emailing going on as of late, do I blame him? Hell no! )
Well ,let me clarify ...
I've always told EVERYONE to dream big.
Precious few listen.
Even fewer believe.
I've always said think big - have big goals.
Those big goals though, setting a "X" amount of time in which you gotta there is almost always counter productive for most people.
For instance, someone that can't do more than 10 pushups now, and thats his entire workout for the day, and its hard for him.
If you ask this person "when he'll get to 500 pushups" or how long, you're setting him up for failure in a way.
And indeed, if the person over-focuses on the number, he may well end up failing.
I advocated baby steps daily towards the big goal.
Which is the whole point.
Most people "crash and burn" after the initial excitement of a huge goal, so in those cases, I'd say its far better to set and focus on doable daily goals.
If you're Rahul Mookerjee or his ilk that does mini workouts throughout the day, and writes books galore, and is chained to the keyboard, and deals with a lot else too, perhaps you could keep focusing on the big goal too.
Most people though, just get frustrated when they "over focus" on the big goal, which is my entire poiint. (and therefore drive that goal AWAY in that regard).
Most people aren't ready, willing or even able to take the massive action that results in achieving massive goals quick.
Which is fine in my opinion.
It ain't how long it takes you or even HOW you do it - so long as you GET there, at least that is how Id look at it . . .
So thats what I meant, my friend.
Hope that helps - and there's more very "actionable" self help tips in Zero to Hero!
And for motivation - Gumption Galore. I might put out a second edition on this one "sometime".
All depends.
Best,
Rahul Mookerjee
PS - And even for huge goals and huge action taken daily, "incremental" huge improvement daily is always the KEY.
