I have now shared my two career objectives with close friends and my mentor.
Sharing goals is something I used to do regularly in swimming. Usually it would come about in a training session usually before a big event or at the start of a season. There was something primal about it.
Sharing goals has an interesting impact.
I noticed it first a some years ago. I was most impressed and stirred when a training buddy came up to me and announced, “I’m aiming for a 51 on the 100 Freestyle.” Full stop! He looked at me.
I looked at him and nodded and agreed. It felt like a direct challenge to me – or at least that’s the way I interpreted it. He raised the bar. I now had to do something about it. I hated and loved that moment. I hated his audacity and wanted to make sure I beat him, but I loved the thrill of the challenge that he had set out. It made me react.
Then on, I purposely started announcing my objectives to others to see their reaction. What’s interesting is that split-second before you announce your objective; you’ll know how confident you are about the objective. In that split second you’ll either commit to it or modify accordingly.
I’m confident about my two current career objectives. By sharing those objectives with others we are bringing the vision closer of where we see ourselves. We are creating the conditions to be held to account. What’s more, in that community of friends we’re also creating that challenge for others too, raising the bar. After all, I want them to keep improving as well.