131: Three Ways to Set Smarter Goals in the New Year with Bjork Ostrom

Foreign. Hi there, super here. This is a little bit of a different podcast. Usually I do interviews on these podcasts, but every once in a while I jump on and do a solo podcast. So it's going to sound and look a little bit different than a normal food blogger pro podcast would. But I think that it will be just right for what we need to do at this time of the year, which is the time of the year that we start to think about 2018. The calendar is resetting and we're setting goals and we're thinking about New Year's resolutions and the things that we want to accomplish. And I wanted to speak to that a little bit in this podcast and have a chance to share actually three different thoughts that I have around goals and resolutions. And these are things that personally I've been thinking about that I want to share with you. So you can have them as kind of mental frameworks or filters that you use as you think about what you want your goals and resolutions to be. And I'll say, first, I think it's really important to set goals and to set resolutions that you will think about for the New Year. But I also think it's important to understand the why for those. And that's actually going to be the first thing that I'm going to talk about in the first kind of mental framework. So let's go ahead and jump in. Things to keep in mind, simple thoughts for your goals and resolutions of 2018. Number one, clarify your why. And as you know, we're coming to the time of year where people are setting goals and resolutions. And in doing that, a common phrase that people use for their goals is this idea of smart goals. And for those of you that have never heard of a smart goal, it stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. So essentially, smart goal says those are all of the important things for setting a goal. They have to be really specific. They have to be measurable. It has to be something you can actually achieve, and it's realistic and it's timely. But this year, when I'm going to be setting my goals and thinking about the New Year's resolutions that I have before, I spend any time thinking about whether or not it's a smart goal, I'm going to spend some time to make sure I understand why I'm setting that specific goal. And I would encourage you to do the same. What is the heart and soul behind your goal? That's the idea with clarifying your why. If we ask that question, I think we'll sometimes find that our goals don't actually have a heart and soul. They're just things that we set because we think that we should or we think it would be a good number. Like, I want to double the amount of page views that I have on my blog. But do you really understand the why behind that? And what I've found is that oftentimes I'm setting goals that don't have a clear why behind it. And I really believe that a soulless goal doesn't have a why. So if you don't have a why, you're gonna have a goal that doesn't have a heart and a soul. And one of my biggest fears is that I spend valuable parts of my life pursuing goals that don't actually have a why. I'm just pursuing them to pursue them, and I might achieve them and it might feel good for a little bit. My business might grow or I might become healthier or whatever it would be. But if there's not a clear why behind the goal, then it doesn't really matter and we can look at an example. So, like I said, I often hear people talk about goals as it relates to their business, because that's what we do on this podcast and on Food Blogger Pro. We talk about that specifically with food and recipe blogs. So a goal that oftentimes people have is they'll say, hey, I want to set a goal of reaching a certain income level. They might want to get their business to a point where, say it's making $1,000 a month, or it could be any number, 2,000 or, you know, a point where it's replacing their full time income. So the goal specifically might look like this. It might be. My goal is to increase my blog's earnings to 2,000amonth by December 2018. Right. So that's a pretty smart goal. It has all of those different characteristics that you'd need. There's a deadline, there's a number, it's realistic, it's achievable, it's all those things. But if that was my goal, before I write that down and move on to my next goal for 2018, I would say it's important for me to take time to truly clarify why that goal is so important. Because understanding the why of a goal might help to inform what the actual goal is. For instance, the why in that situation might be that I want to make enough to justify leaving my current job, which I don't like, because the hours are super long and the work isn't enjoyable. And I don't really like my co workers. I'm just making this up. This isn't an actual example, but this would be not an unlikely scenario for a lot of people that we talk to or that I hear from, that might be one of their goals. But here's the thing. There are lots of ways to address the issue of a job that you don't enjoy, or, you know, working hours that you don't like, or something like that. And building your blog to a point where it's sustainable or building a business is just one of those ways that you could do it. There's lots of different ways you could address that problem. You could look for a different job, you could look to change departments, you could freelance instead of work for a company. And all of those things help address the root issue of the problem that the goal is trying to address. And a goal essentially is a path from point A to point B. And clarifying your why allows you to really understand what point A is and why you want to move on from it or move away from it. And point B doesn't always have to look the same. Once you fully understand what point A is and where it is and why you want to move away from it, then you can look around and see all of the different paths that exist to help you move away from that point, to help you evolve, to help you take that first step. But the thing is, a goal is just one path. Before you start to walk down that path, make sure that you fully understand why you're wanting to move away or why you're wanting to move forward from where you currently are. And think about the other options that exist to help you move forward. And oftentimes, I would say, in almost every scenario, the first goal that you think of to get you from point A to point B is, isn't the shortest path. There are other paths that exist that you can start walking on sooner than you realized, and a lot of times those paths are going to be shorter. Now, the example of, you know, the example of the blog income and getting to a certain income level, that's just one example. This idea can be applied to any type of goal that you're setting. And so as you're thinking about your goals in 2018 and the things that you'd like to achieve, think first about the why for those. And then once you truly understand the why, think about the multiple different paths that might help you address that why that might help you solve that problem. And once you have done some brainstorming, let's say you Have a list of 10 different ways that you could solve that, look at that list and say, what are the things on this list that I would most enjoy doing? And that will help me start walking forward on this path as soon as possible and start that journey as quickly as you can. Because so often we will think of a goal and we'll set that goal and we'll start to work against that goal. And while that might be a good goal to achieve, oftentimes it's going to not be the quickest way to get there, or not be the most efficient way to get there, or it might be addressing the basic problem that we're running into, but it's not going to bring us to the best next step. It's not going to bring us to the best point. B. So my point, my overall hope for this first one of clarifying the why is before you set down that goal or before you write it down, take time to understand why you're writing down that goal and what's at the heart and soul of that why. And that will help you understand the different goals that you can create that will help you address that. Oftentimes the goal is just kind of a symptom of the problem that we're trying to address. And there's lots of different ways that we can go out and set those goals and apply those to the work that we're doing. Number two, gratitude in all things. And this is a really important one for me and one that when I get into the rhythms of gratitude, I'm extremely grateful. Could I say that? I'm extremely thankful because it, it informs the work that I do in such a real way. And I think, to be honest, I feel like gratitude is one of the best productivity tips of all time. Right. You read a lot about how, you know, different apps can help you save time or, you know, if you brush your teeth with your eyes closed, you're able to do it 10% more efficiently, which isn't actually true, but that would be awesome if it was. And there's very like ground level productivity hacks and tips and tricks. But what I've found is that gratitude is one of the best productivity tips of all time. Because one of the biggest issues with productivity or getting things done or whatever you want to call it, is the actual resistance to doing the thing. And you can have all of the tools and tips and tricks you want, but if you feel resistance towards doing whatever it is that, that you want to get done, it's going to be really hard to get that done. But one of the greatest ways to overcome resistance is to fall in love with that thing. And you can imagine the things that you love doing and how easy it is to do those when you have free time. And there's countless examples of what that might be. But when you have free time, if you love to do something, you're going to find yourself doing that thing. And if you don't love to do something, you're not going to be as drawn to that. But the problem is, oftentimes when we have goals or ambitions, it also involves doing some of the things that we're not crazy about, especially in the early stages. If you're building a blog or you're building a business, there's gonna be things that you can't necessarily outsource or delegate. There's gonna be things that are difficult to do that need to get done, and you're gonna feel resistance to doing those things. But if you can have a mindset of gratitude, then you're gonna be able to appreciate those things in a different way, which makes it easier to get those things done. And I wanna make sure that for this, you understand, I'm not talking about some sort of silly gratitude where you're like, oh, I love doing taxes. And this is. I am a tax enthusiast. It's not pretending to like something you don't actually like, but it's helping to wrap that thing in things that you actually truly are grateful for. And these can be really simple, basic things. And I thought of a few, and these are things that I think about as. As I'm working through a certain task that I maybe am not drawn to, but then I wrap it around with things that I am grateful for, and that helps me appreciate the task a little bit more. So an example would be if I'm having to write something up. My natural draw is to speak into a microphone like this. It's not to write something. And I'm not somebody that's. I feel resistance when there is something that requires me to, like, write a long post or something like that. But it. I'm. I'm able to do that a little bit easier when. When I lean into some of the gratitudes of that. For instance, this is a little bit of a, like tech gratitude, but the feeling of the keyboard as I type, I think about that as I'm writing, and that allows me to enjoy that a little bit more and to fall in love with that process. Or the sound of my favorite song in the background as I'm working for me we live in Minnesota, which this time of the year is very cold. Uh, and so I think about how nice it is to be in a room that's really warm and how cozy that is, and. And I lean into the. Hi. Hi, Guy. Higa. Hi. I don't know what it is, but the idea, for those of you that. That know, it's like the idea of, like, intentional pursuit of cozy times. Um, we'll link to a Wikipedia article or something like that in the show notes for those that aren't familiar with that. Cause it's a great concept, and it's very Minnesota to have a cup of hot coffee or hot tea or hot cocoa and a candle and just to snuggle and to lean into that. And so I think about that as I work. I also think about, you know, my ability to put words together and communicate those to people and how grateful I am to be able to do that, and what a privilege it is to be able to communicate with other people and to have people, for instance, listen to this podcast. That's such a gift, and I'm so grateful for that. Or I think about how good it feels to be challenged and to be presented with a situation where I have to find a good solution. And so being grateful for the challenge of work and knowing that if I didn't have that, I'd be extremely bored. And to be appreciative of the work that I have and to be grateful for it. And all of these are really simple gratitudes. They're not anything, you know, over the top. And it's not like, you know, I'm really grateful for this huge success moment that I had last week. It's. It's really simple things, but it allows me to wrap those in the work that I otherwise would feel resistance to. And I can associate those with that work. And especially if it's important work that you sometimes procrastinate on, then it'll allow you to start to change your view of that work, which is so important, because if your view of that work starts to change, if you appreciate it more, if you're grateful for it, and it doesn't have to necessarily be the core of that work, but it can be the things around it, then you're not going to feel as much resistance to it, and you'll be able to get that work done that you otherwise would feel resistance to. And the work that's easiest to get done is the work we love doing. It's easier to love something if you're grateful for it. And so if you're grateful for something, then it's gonna be easier to get it done. And finding ways to be grateful in all things is one of the best ways to fully engage with your work on a daily basis. So, as I think about 2018 and some of the goals that I wanna set and some of the things that I wanna look forward to achieving, I know that within that there's going to be some things that are difficult to do, but if I can have this mindset of gratitude as it relates to those things, it allows me to lean into that and to enjoy it and to look forward to it in a way that I wouldn't otherwise be able to if the only thing that I saw with that was just the, the thing that I'm resistant to or the thing that I have resistance towards. Uh, but wrapping that in gratitude and surrounding that with gratitude allows me to do that piece of work a little bit easier and to not feel as much resistance to it. And the last thing that I wanted to talk about, this is going to be short and it's going to be simple because I don't think it needs to be the I, I, I think it can live on its own, and I think it's potentially one of the most impactful things that you'll hear in this podcast. So, number three, the mindset that I have in 2018 that I want to pass on to you is that it's possible. Your dream, your goal, your resolution, whatever you want to call it, it's possible. And that's one of the truths that I hope you internalize this year. As you think about the things that you want to achieve and the things that are most important to you, the thing you're most interested in doing is possible, and it's possible for you to figure out how to make it happen. And it probably won't be easy, and it will take a commitment of time and energy, but it's entirely, 100%, without a doubt, possible, and you can make it happen. Which I think is a good note to end on. So just to review the things that I'm going to be thinking about, and I would encourage you to think about as you move into 2018, is to clarify your why, to really understand why you're doing something, and to not just set a goal. To set a goal, but to set a goal that has a really clear why behind it. Number two, to find gratitude in all things, including the things that you feel resistance towards, and maybe most importantly, those things that you feel resistance towards, to find those gratitudes within that thing that allows you to fully engage in that and to not procrastinate on the things that are most easy to procrastinate on, especially if it's an important thing for you to be doing. And number three, it's possible, and it's possible for you to do whatever it is that you have in mind as your goal, your dream, your resolution. It's possible. We really appreciate you. This podcast has been going now for almost two and a half years. We started in 2015 and we're coming up to to our second official full year. So we're putting a close on 2017. And it's an incredible thing to be able to do this and to connect with you wherever you are, around the world. And we are humbled and honored. Know that you encourage us in ways that you don't know, whether it's through just downloading or sending an email or leaving a comment, whatever it would be. We see those and we appreciate those and it means a lot both for me and Lindsay. And we give Sage an ear scratch as well whenever you mention her. So I'm looking forward to 2018 and to continuing to stay connected with you as we move into the new year. Sam.