The Power of Goal Setting – Personal Experiments and Wisdom at Large

Vinny Khinda

June 13, 2020

The above quote has been one of the guiding principles of my life, not that I intentionally made it one, but when I reflect back, this is how it has panned out so far. There is a joke that has been doing rounds among my friends since couple of decades now; they often enquire between themselves, “What is this guy up to now… what’s his new brainwave?” They have not been off target with their barbs… I have experimented so much, sometimes to the extent of sounding like an eccentric; the list of (mis)adventures is long… Trying to learn photography, trying my hand at farming, collaborating with small-time manufacturing units in designing of a dental sedation unit, enjoying informal writing and then deciding to do something more with it, and the latest (self)challenge of learning to sing, which I hope will continue as long as I am alive…

Stick to one thing, the wiser lot always said; rolling stones gather no moss. I would like to challenge this axiom with a hypothesis of my own. And I speak from my experience of how I teased life and in turn what it threw at me.

Thousands of those hours spent looking through the viewfinder have bestowed upon me, a mental space where I see magnificence even in chaos. My mind starts composing a picture… the rule of thirds starts kicking in. The pandemonium fails to register. Instead, what I see is a gorgeous possibility, extraordinary in the ordinary. How much I wish that my DSLR somehow becomes an extension of my body, another essential organ, so that I do not miss recording all this wonderful life unfolding around me, all the time.

My trials with photography also came in handy during the years I spent being a hands-on farmer, more than a decade ago. Our two boys were growing up and I loved documenting the time they spent at the farm, learning the basics of growing food, and playing with the flock of our in-house geese and the street dog we had adopted at the farm. The pictures I made of those times are a treasure trove of lifelong memories, I will give my right arm to keep them. Besides this, the time spent watching sunrises and the sunsets at the farm shall always keep our lives warm. Growing food has also taught me the value of the one on the table; I know what it takes to nurture a grain of rice during its life cycle. Behind that loaf of bread on our plates, is the sweat and blood of poor farmhands, those daily wagers who spend a lifetime in the dustbowls. It has given me the awareness to treat the ones less fortunate, with empathy, respect and compassion. Not a bad deal for a part-time farmer. My success at designing of medical equipment and subsequent speaking engagements all over the country, have left me with a whole lot of self-belief. There was a time when the sight of a microphone and speaking dais set off a bout of violent churning in my stomach, those proverbial butterflies… but then I consciously confronted this self-defeatist mindset, and today the sound amplifying device is a great friend.

Is there a link between goal setting and happiness? Sure there is. And I can vouch for it. Chasing my wild goals has always been a source of joy and personal gratification for me. In our pursuit of happiness, we often focus on a variety of activities – meditation, de-stressing, visiting religious teachers and doing the things we enjoy such as going for movies. However, setting of goals can also contribute to our happiness. It doesn’t really matter what sort of goals you’re setting for yourself, just the process of goal setting itself has its benefits. One of the reasons goal setting can help augment happiness is because it forces us to think of our future in a positive way. Focusing on our desires and imagining us fulfilling those, automatically makes us feel happier. As we start working on our goals and see ourselves making progress, it has a wonderful effect on our happiness quotient. Status quo is boring, so is stagnation in life. Many a times, if nothing is changing in our lives, the boredom leads to negativity. On the other hand, if we have goals to pursue, big or small doesn’t matter, and are taking baby steps in this direction, our life situations start changing and we begin to celebrate our progress. Happiness is a natural spin-off.

I would like to conclude my hypothesis by taking help from two extremely fascinating quotes by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, the great American motivational speaker and self-help author of multiple, very successful books including, Pulling Your Own Strings. His first book, Your Erroneous Zones, continues to be one of the best-selling books of all times, with an estimated 100 million copies sold to date. Dr. Dyer says, “Doing what you love, is the cornerstone of having abundance in life”. On another occasion, he wrote, “When you dance, your purpose is not to get a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way”.

The Psychological Definition of Goal Setting

Goal setting in psychology refers to a successful plan of action that we set for ourselves. It guides us to choose the right moves, at the right time, and in the right way.

The Nitty-Gritty of Goal Setting

Scientific research has shown that optimistic people are happier, healthier and cope better in tough times. Happiness comes from thinking, planning and pursuing things that are important to us, in other words, our goals. Goal setting and working towards goals can contribute to happiness in various ways. They act as a source of interest, engagement or pleasure. They give us a sense of purpose in life. Even small milestones along the way or rather the journey itself, is a source of joy. This in turn builds our confidence and belief in what we can achieve in the future. What is of importance is that our goals must be of our own will, something our heart has set its sight upon, rather than being something that people expect us to do.

Studies have shown that when we train our mind to think about what we want in life and work towards reaching it, the brain automatically rewires itself to acquire the ideal self-image and makes it an essential part of our identity. If we achieve the goal, we achieve fulfillment, and if we don’t, our brain keeps nudging us until we achieve it.

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that goal-setting literally alters the structure of our brain so that we perceive and behave in ways that will cause us to achieve those goals. Also, goals which are challenging and have a strong emotional connect, alter the brain structure more quickly and effectively, as compared with goals that are weak.

Dr. Frank L. Smoll, a psychologist at the University of Washington has explained three essential features of goal-setting, which he called the A-B-C of goals.

ABC of Goals

Smoll said that effective goals are ones that are:

• A – Achievable
• B – Believable
• C – Committed

SMART Goals

Goal-setting as a psychological tool for increasing productivity involves five rules or criterion, known as the S-M-A-R-T rule. This rule was coined by George T. Doran in 1981 and it is considered one of the most popular propositions of the psychology of goals.

S-M-A-R-T goals stand for:

S (Specific) – They target a particular area of functioning and focus on building it.

M (Measurable) -The results can be gauged quantitatively or at least indicated by some qualitative attributes. This helps in monitoring the progress after executing the plans.

A (Attainable/Achievable) – The goals are targeted to suitable people and are individualized. They take into account the fact that no single rule suits all, and are flexible in that regard.

R (Realistic) – They are practical and planned in a way that would be easy to implement in real life. The purpose of a smart goal is not just providing the plan, but also helping the person execute it.

T (Time-bound) – An element of time makes the goal more focused. It also provides a time frame about task achievement.

SmartER Goals

Researchers have also added two more constituents to it, and call it the S-M-A-R-T-E-R rule.

The add-ons include:

E (Evaluative/ethical) – The interventions and execution follow professional and personal ethics.

R (Rewarding) – The end-results of the goal-setting comes with a positive reward and bring a feeling of accomplishment to the user.

Setting Goals play a dominant role in shaping the way we see ourselves and others. A person who is focused and goal-oriented is likely to have a more positive approach towards life and perceive failures as temporary setbacks, rather than personal shortcomings.

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“Setting goals is the first step from turning the invisible to visible.”

– Tony Robbins, world-famous motivational speaker and coach, author of multiple books including the international bestseller Awaken the Giant Within.

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Bruce Lee, arguably the greatest martial artist to have ever lived, also understood the power of declaring a goal. Many years before he became a star, Lee wrote a letter to himself which can best be described as a wonderful mix of positive affirmation and goal setting. His letter dated January 9, 1969 and titled, ‘My Definite Chief Aim’, reads as follows:

“I, Bruce Lee, will be the first, highest paid Oriental superstar in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession 10 million dollars. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.“

Bruce made three films and tragically passed away in 1973. But by then, he had already accomplished his goal. His film Enter the Dragon was released after his untimely death at age 33. The movie was a smash hit and achieved worldwide fame for Bruce Lee. The letter Bruce wrote to himself, hangs in Planet Hollywood, New York City.

Set goals… Small goals, big goals, short-term goals, long-term goals, funny goals, serious goals, eccentric goals, and if you are happy and in bliss without setting goals, then remain that way! But remember, in case u decide to go for goals, do not be overawed by the situation and the process. The whole idea behind goal setting goes out of the window the moment we get intimidated by the very goal we’ve set out to achieve. Never ever loose track of the fun involved in the whole thing. Frequently ask yourself, “Am I loving it?” If the answer is anything other than an overwhelming yes, drop the idea; it is not worth chasing. Goals must be subservient to our happiness and thats’ the way they are meant to be.