Let’s start with a metaphor.
The plane is a last generation Airbus 380. It is a double-decker carrying today 480 passengers. It has four turbines capable of a monstrous thrust of 934,000 pounds, more than any plane ever…! The captain is one of the most experienced pilots in the business and the other 3 cockpit crewmembers are also top of their class.
It is now docked in one special gate at Los Angeles International Airport.
It has been fueled to the top. Everything has been thoroughly checked by the crew
Ready to take off… And finally, it takes off magisterially and easily, like an eagle… a magnificent metal eagle….
It is so smooth. Once they reach the cruise altitude at about 35,000 thousand feet everyone and everything is so peaceful..!
This flight has some of the best technology, equipment and human factor that an airline can offer you these days for long-range flights
But ohhh…. they don’t have instructions on where to go…! They have not a flight plan.
Are they supposed to go to London…or Hawaii…or Australia?
So all this magnificent hardware, the top-notch crew, the tank full of fuel is now worthless…the options are, coming back to the departing point…. or just flight in circles until they run out of fuel
Of course, this is a metaphor.
In real life, the flight plan is so strict and well prepared, that even minimal degrees of deviation are soon corrected. And the destination is reached most of the times through the shortest and most efficient route, safely…and on time.
But I want you to think of a person you may know that has extraordinary potential, but few times reaches the destination! (Success, self-fulfillment, happiness, or general well being)
If we don’t have a clear goal, perfectly defined, and later an action plan to execute it…it’s like being on that plane…everything seems perfect…but results don’t show up.
In relationships, can you think about a beautiful woman or an attractive man that you may know that cannot ever find the right partner?
In business can you think, about a colleague brilliant in many aspects, but that has a stalling career? (I know I met several, during my years in the corporate world)
In personal development can you think about someone that in spite of being intelligent, is always riding in circles, not finding him or herself or a purpose in life?
Of course, there are many reasons for those behaviors and results.
But one that I frequently detect in coaching clients is lack of a clear direction.
A crystal clear goal, a laser-focused intention.
A clear direction…. that is kept along the full flight. A path that can be corrected if any deviation, that allows you to be flexible, accepting temporary deviations, but always knowing where you are going to.
Even decisions are easier, because the only question you might need to ask yourself is, which of the options that I am facing now, is aligned with reaching the final destination of this flight…
YOUR OWN GOAL!
So, to end as usual our articles, here follow some practical tips for the first part of your “flight plan”. In later articles we will deal on removing obstacles.
Tips for having a crystal clear idea of where you want to go. A very well defined goal.
- Take a reasonable time to define it. The final product will probably be something that will crystallize a lot of previous experiences and desires you had in the past.
- Write it down!
- Be extremely specific on what you want, even to the extreme of being redundant.
- Built a mental picture of how it will look the moment that you get there.
Let’s continue with the metaphor of our flight adventure and a trip as an example. Say you want to go to Europe by the end of the year…that is too vague.
First decide what’s the goal of your trip: cultural, fun, visiting family, a mix, etc.
That way you will be able to choose the best places ahead. Define the countries and cities you want to visit.
Second, determine what exact date you want to go. (By the end of the year is not specific enough, and will not trigger any action). And so on…
Once you define those first steps and you establish a clear direction on what you want…the next steps and actions will probably come along easily.
I compare it to a domino’s effect. There might be obstacles for sure, but knowing your direction will help you to overcome them.
So this is all a light metaphor to better understand the importance of direction and clarity in our lives, desires, and goals.
Our goals are so important and touch such critical areas of our life, that they might define our future and our success. Therefore the benefit of being crystal clear on them.
Sometimes what we believe we want is not aligned with our values or there is baggage that we carry on from previous experiences, education, etc.
So at those times, it might not be easy to clearly define the goal. In that case, the help of a mentor, a coach a therapist, etc. can be extremely useful
With my best wishes,
