Throwing out the buzzwords
I was reading something the other day about setting goals and started thinking about the ways in which we over-complicate things because we try to follow unnecessarily confusing methods to get what we want.
When I used to work in the corporate space – and still now when I work with corporate clients – the buzzwords are everywhere. Vision, Mission, and Values are among some of the most common – and most commonly mis-used – of them all. Similarly, when I work with individuals around what they want in their lives, they often get caught up with and confused between Aspirations, Goals, Habits, and To-Dos.
Why can’t it just be SIMPLE??!
Buzzwords get in the way of us just doing the work, so here’s a framework of questions to think about how you can go about getting what you want (in work or life) without getting trapped in the buzzword web!
How do you wish things were? This is very general, but when it comes down to it, it’s at the base of every business that’s built or every dream life that’s led. Someone looks out in the distance and thinks: I wish things were like this or like that. And that becomes the north star of their way forward.
What are some important pieces that need to happen to make things that way? Every point in the far off distance or future has a lot that exists between here and there. Thinking about what some of those main pieces are can start to map the pathway instead of just leaving you squinting at the distance.
What do you need to do to make those things happen? Probably an obvious one, but this question makes the impossibly large future something that can be broken down into bite-sized chunks and set in motion.
What’s important to you that you want to honor or respect as you go along? Whenever we pursue something, we are faced with choices and trade-offs. If we haven’t thought about what’s super important to us, we may find ourselves living in a way that, even while in pursuit of something wonderful, is not at all how we want to experience the journey.
The next time you’re faced with the buzzwords trending on Twitter or blowing up Instagram, stop and consider: what’s the simple question or idea beneath these words?
My Airbnb in Boulder knew how to simplify beautifully!
