One Word Goal Setting
I have been contemplating goal setting, with the intention of helping my 12-year-old son think about his future. And in that process it dawned on me that my own track record with achieving set goals is actually uninspiring.
So how can I equip him to achieve something that I have myself failed at?
Reflecting on my past struggles with goal achievement, I realized that my success or failure often came down to how my goals resonated with my deepest values. In short, the answer I found is alignment — ie the more aligned a goal is with my values the better my chances of achieving it.
If the key to achievement of goals is alignment with internal values, then how does one go about finding that alignment?
The answer: “One Word Goal Setting”.
“One Word Goal Setting” says simplify your goals down to one word.
I love it because it forces me to boil everything I want to achieve down to one word. I hate it because it forces me to boil everything I want to achieve down to one word.
That one word needs to be the lens through which I make every choice.
Every opportunity cost is evaluated from the perspective of that one word.
Health, wealth, time, career … all of those choices have to made through that lens.
What is that for me?
For me that one word is FREEDOM.
Freedom to do what I want, when I want, with who I want to.
Freedom, to me, then becomes synonymous with happiness.
Every decision begins with the question —
Will doing (or not doing) X get me more freedom tomorrow that I have today?
Let me illustrate this with a relatable example – upgrading my phone.
Sure the latest model boasts a stunning camera and faster processing power. It's tempting, but is it truly necessary? Applying the "One Word" framework, I ask myself: "Will a new phone give me more freedom tomorrow?"
It does not.
It gets in the way of my goal of spending less time on my phone.
It creates an additional expense which I could invest to generate passive income — that is a huge opportunity cost.
And the decision is made.
This is just one example and the power of the "One Word" framework extends far beyond material possessions.
It can guide career decisions. Does a promotion with a hefty salary but longer hours align with my goal of freedom especially if it means less time spent with loved ones?
So how will this help my son?
It will begin with a conversation about what his “One Word” is. Just because mine is FREEDOM does not mean that should be his too. At the same time, without identifying his “One Word” his success rate at achieving his goals is not likely to be much different than mine.
Nietzsche said, “He who has why to live can bear an almost any how.”
The “One Word Goal” framework is the corollary to that.
Find your “One Word”. Use it to simplify your goals. Empower yourself (and your child) to make choices that will bring you real happiness and fulfillment.
A single-word goal description is like a North Star that guides us, a touchstone that tests the integrity of our actions, a spotlight that shines the light on shadowy behaviour, and an alarm bell that rings loud when there's a mismatch between goals and values.