The Price of Arrival

Roy Williams, the Wizard of Ads, posts in his weekly memo, a  provocative comparison between goals and plans.

“Goal,” in my experience, is a favorite word of people who talk and dream and dream and talk. And then they get together to “network” with other talkers. There’s always a lot of noise in these meetings but it’s unlikely than anything of consequence is going to happen. People who chatter about goals are rarely willing to die on that mountain.

I have no goals. But I do have plans.

A plan puts you in motion toward a destination. The destination you choose is irrelevant. It is (1.) motion, (2.) determination and (3.) commitment that separate destination-reaching explorers from goal-setting chipmunks.

Count the cost, explorer. “Am I willing to die on this mountain?”

The Wizard is wise.

A goal is a marker along a trail. If you know orienteering practice, that goal could be only ten yards ahead of you. It is never a destination, but a point along the way.

The sign in the picture above could be in my front yard. Instead it is on top of Mt. Phillips in New Mexico. The arrival at this sign was not the point. Arrival at the top of Mt. Phillips was. The plan to arrive at this destination required lots of planning and execution. It was not achieved on a whim or sitting in my kitchen writing on a notepad my goals.

There were times when climbing this mountain my lungs burned, my legs shook, and my head was dizzy. I was not as young as my fellow climbers. I did my part for the team holding up the back of the line. They did their part by giving me encouragement and the honor of being the first to arrive at our destination.

The arrival at the top of Mt. Phillips was a goal, a marker along a much longer, more ambitious path, and not the end of the journey. It continued on with other mountains to climb. And that holds true to today.

There are three questions that should be asked by us.

1. Do I have a destination?

2. Do I have fellow travelers who want to go with me to that destination?

3. Am I willing to pay the price to arrive?

If you answer no to any of these questions, you are not ready to embark on your journey.

Comments

[Rodney Johnson]

Ed, provocative insight. Personally,I hate goals. In meetings, when the subject of goals surfaces, I tell everyone I don't do goals. They in turn glance in my direction with a quizical look. How can this be. After all, I had achieved so much. An executive coach, an author, a leader. To achieve such heights, goals must certainly be at the center of my universe. After all, goals have been at the epicenter of the achievement debate for decades.

Although I don'do goals, you are 100% right, I do have a plan.

So now I have some new language to explain my position. It is,

"I don't do goals, but I do have a plan..."
Thanks