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There's a lot of talk about resolutions at this time of year. As I mentioned last year around this time, I don't really do resolutions. But I don't think planning is necessarily a bad thing. So instead of talking resolutions, I'd probably talk about goals.
Should goals be "SMART"? If I remember my managementspeak, that stands for "Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound". I don't really like those criteria either. So I'm going to outline my idea for STUPID goals instead.
S is for "Shadowy". Often you might set a goal and then realize part-way to working towards it that it's not quite what you wanted after all. If you're "SMART" you remain hell-bent on attaining that no-longer-so-desirable goal. If you're "STUPID", you recognize that there has to be some flexibility and fluidity built into your goal-setting exercise. For one thing, you don't necessarily know at the outset what additional options and opportunities may crop up along the way.
T is for "Tense-appropriate". Sometimes it makes sense to live in the moment and appreciate things as they come. But I also seem to get more interested in history as I get older - both my own personal history and the history of the world, the universe, the ecosystem and so on. And that's necessary for looking to the future as well. You don't know if you're genetically susceptible to a particular condition or illness if you don't know anything about your ancestry. Some people, of course, may not WANT to know. I do - up to a point.
U is for "Unexpected". What's the point of resolving or even just planning to do something if it's something you automatically would have done anyway? Well, maybe it's something you can cross off your list and feel you've accomplished something, but that's about the only rationale I can think of. Instead, why not plan on doing something it hadn't occurred to you to do until you sat down and started thinking about what you want out of the rest of your life?
P is for "Personal". I'm sure we all tend to hear the voice of our mother or teacher or other authority figure whispering in our ear that we OUGHT to make our bed as soon as we get up or go to confession every Sunday but is that what's important to US? If it matters to the person doing the planning, then it matters.
I is for "Idealistic". The idea of setting goals is to try and make something BETTER. Better for you and/or better for those you care about, even if you've never met them and perhaps aren't even likely to.
D is for "Down-to-earth." Even if you're being idealistic, there's no point in saying that, for example, you're going to put an end to global warming and wage heavy peace in the Middle East because one person alone cannot possibly do that. Why set yourself up for failure? Unless, of course, you're STUPID.
Should goals be "SMART"? If I remember my managementspeak, that stands for "Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound". I don't really like those criteria either. So I'm going to outline my idea for STUPID goals instead.
S is for "Shadowy". Often you might set a goal and then realize part-way to working towards it that it's not quite what you wanted after all. If you're "SMART" you remain hell-bent on attaining that no-longer-so-desirable goal. If you're "STUPID", you recognize that there has to be some flexibility and fluidity built into your goal-setting exercise. For one thing, you don't necessarily know at the outset what additional options and opportunities may crop up along the way.
T is for "Tense-appropriate". Sometimes it makes sense to live in the moment and appreciate things as they come. But I also seem to get more interested in history as I get older - both my own personal history and the history of the world, the universe, the ecosystem and so on. And that's necessary for looking to the future as well. You don't know if you're genetically susceptible to a particular condition or illness if you don't know anything about your ancestry. Some people, of course, may not WANT to know. I do - up to a point.
U is for "Unexpected". What's the point of resolving or even just planning to do something if it's something you automatically would have done anyway? Well, maybe it's something you can cross off your list and feel you've accomplished something, but that's about the only rationale I can think of. Instead, why not plan on doing something it hadn't occurred to you to do until you sat down and started thinking about what you want out of the rest of your life?
P is for "Personal". I'm sure we all tend to hear the voice of our mother or teacher or other authority figure whispering in our ear that we OUGHT to make our bed as soon as we get up or go to confession every Sunday but is that what's important to US? If it matters to the person doing the planning, then it matters.
I is for "Idealistic". The idea of setting goals is to try and make something BETTER. Better for you and/or better for those you care about, even if you've never met them and perhaps aren't even likely to.
D is for "Down-to-earth." Even if you're being idealistic, there's no point in saying that, for example, you're going to put an end to global warming and wage heavy peace in the Middle East because one person alone cannot possibly do that. Why set yourself up for failure? Unless, of course, you're STUPID.
