Do you have SMART goals & are they shared with others?

[brewer12345]

Glad you like the discussion, though I'm shocked at the level of negativity from others. Seems rather toxic.

Let's ignore the company, management & other negativity that seem to turn people off.

You tell your best friend that you are going to run 10 miles on Wednesday, at an 8:00 pace. Now you are accountable. On sunday night when your friend says, hey, I thought this was important to you - what the hell happened? Accountability is extremely powerful.

Now if your friends are fat, lazy & drunk this might not be a good example...

You are also spewing this into a community dominated by introverts. I think it is a shame you are not internally motivated enough to accomplish your goals without someone checking up on you.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Glad you like the discussion, though I'm shocked at the level of negativity from others. Seems rather toxic.
...
Now if your friends are fat, lazy & drunk this might not be a good example...

Dean Wormer, is that you?

 

[growing_older]

One thing that has worked extremely well has been sharing those goals with a close friend and reviewing them often. We discuss goals on a weekly basis and do a big review at the end of the year to gauge progress.

We cover three main areas - personal, financial & career.

If by "close friend" you mean spouse, then this kind of talk (without the SMART gobledegook) makes sense. If you mean a personal friend or someone I know through work, then I cannot imagine this turning out well. Even broaching the general subjects of ER, FI or even sensible investing have generally gone poorly.

 

[ERD50]

Goals are sometimes too limiting - try this:
Scott Adams Blog: Goals vs. Systems 11/18/2013

That was great, very insightful.

When I started out, there was lots of push to have a 5-year career plan. It seemed my job changed almost completely every 3 years, so I did think that could be limiting (plus, I'm lazy in that way). So I tend to agree with his view, try different things, keep learning, look for opportunities. But there is a time/place for specific goals.


-ERD50

 

[Calico]

Glad you like the discussion, though I'm shocked at the level of negativity from others. Seems rather toxic.

Let's ignore the company, management & other negativity that seem to turn people off.

You tell your best friend that you are going to run 10 miles on Wednesday, at an 8:00 pace. Now you are accountable. On sunday night when your friend says, hey, I thought this was important to you - what the hell happened? Accountability is extremely powerful.

Now if your friends are fat, lazy & drunk this might not be a good example...

The idea that I would be accountable to my best friend - or any friend - for meeting my personal or financial goals is unfathomable to me. The idea that they would be accountable to me for the same is also laughable. Frankly I have no interest in expending energy keeping tabs on whether my friends are meeting their goals - I'm too busy working on my own, and I am not their parent.

My motivation for achieving my goals comes from within, and I have nothing to prove to anyone. Sink or swim, it's up to me, and I am the one who will live with the consequences of my decisions.

As you spend more time here I think you will realize that the vast majority of folks here are inner-directed, and are not in the business of score-keeping, or attempting to measure up to their friends' expectations on the path to reaching their goals.

My friends are not fat, lazy, or drunk and I am STILL not accountable for reporting to them about my personal progress.

 

[JacqJolie]

I guess I'll stick my introverted hand up and admit that I do something like this with a friend via email, only we touch base every day and don't really refer to it as SMART goals, more our current projects. Basically we send each other a list in the morning of what we would like to have done that day on our personal projects and update our status at the end of the day. It's going to be a nice day today, so mine will probably just be "X hour hike". Also need to review some travel brochures and maps for the upcoming 2 month RV trip, do some writing and scope out a plan for my portfolio cash. And the dreaded cleaning list (cleaning does not come naturally to me). She's working on her next book and editing another book for someone else so usually has something in her email to do with that. Yesterday was completely focused on watching both the market and Breaking Bad. I over-achieved on that particular project.

We don't do it to be "accountable" to someone else - it's more encouraging each other - but she is good at reminding me to not be such a perfectionist and take every little progress towards stuff like cleaning or anything else really that I avoid doing as a win. I hope I do the same for her.

We've done this together off and on over the last 5 years that I've known her. Used to use idonethis.com which is handy because they send you an email every day or however often you want and keep a record of what you logged in for that day. Maybe it works for us because personally, I am not working right now because I have my own stuff to do, not so much to get away from somewhere - except that their stuff wasn't interesting to me anymore. I'm also not married (but she is). Maybe that makes a difference.

It's not much different than the "What did you do today" thread on here or the Wednesday weigh-in thread or the thread that used to be here for decluttering. Just sharing with people that care about you and want to see you happy.

 

[EastWest Gal]

My one goal in retirement is to just...live. To be happy.

I'm so sick of being a"human doing". I just want to be a human being. I'm already tired of people asking me what I'm going to do when I retire. I'm going to live. Really live. Isn't that enough?

 

[Meadbh]

My one goal in retirement is to just...live. To be happy.

I'm so sick of being a"human doing". I just want to be a human being. I'm already tired of people asking me what I'm going to do when I retire. I'm going to live. Really live. Isn't that enough?

Great post!

 

[samclem]

I would rather spend an hour with a fat, lazy, drunk friend than spend a minute with a friend who was intent on coaching, "improving", and cajoling me.

DW and I work together on mutual goals, but I'm pretty much self-managed other than that. I've been that way since I moved out of my parents' house 35 years ago. I sure wouldn't invite somebody to track my progress in meeting my own priorities/goals, and I wouldn't do it for/to anyone else.

 

[JacqJolie]

Also meant to say that I'm very fortunate that my friend is an ENFP and can see things that I can't when my INTJ-blinders are on in full gear - and I help talk her down sometimes. We make a great team.
INTJ strengths and weaknesses | 16 Personality Types

I think it's great that one of the beauties of FI/ER is that everyone can walk their own path vs. having to conform to an organization's (or popular opinion) way of doing things.

 

[growing_older]

This looks like another convincing example that people have different likes and attitudes. Different approaches work differently on individuals depending on their own internal inclinations and propensities. I'm full of goals for myself, but would never ever want external accountability or even want to review them with others (SO excepted). I see that at least some people DO like that, and good for them. Maybe they even like SMART goals at work. But no one prescription fits all.

 

[jimbee]

My one goal in retirement is to just...live. To be happy.

I'm so sick of being a"human doing". I just want to be a human being. I'm already tired of people asking me what I'm going to do when I retire. I'm going to live. Really live. Isn't that enough?

That is enough for me, and sums up my feelings exactly. I don't know why more people don't "get it", but I've had to learn that my likes and preferences aren't popular.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I guess I'll stick my introverted hand up and admit that I do something like this with a friend via email, only we touch base every day and don't really refer to it as SMART goals, more our current projects. Basically we send each other a list in the morning of what we would like to have done that day on our personal projects and update our status at the end of the day. It's going to be a nice day today, so mine will probably just be "X hour hike". Also need to review some travel brochures and maps for the upcoming 2 month RV trip, do some writing and scope out a plan for my portfolio cash. And the dreaded cleaning list (cleaning does not come naturally to me). She's working on her next book and editing another book for someone else so usually has something in her email to do with that. Yesterday was completely focused on watching both the market and Breaking Bad. I over-achieved on that particular project.

We don't do it to be "accountable" to someone else - it's more encouraging each other - but she is good at reminding me to not be such a perfectionist and take every little progress towards stuff like cleaning or anything else really that I avoid doing as a win. I hope I do the same for her.

We've done this together off and on over the last 5 years that I've known her. Used to use idonethis.com which is handy because they send you an email every day or however often you want and keep a record of what you logged in for that day. Maybe it works for us because personally, I am not working right now because I have my own stuff to do, not so much to get away from somewhere - except that their stuff wasn't interesting to me anymore. I'm also not married (but she is). Maybe that makes a difference.

It's not much different than the "What did you do today" thread on here or the Wednesday weigh-in thread or the thread that used to be here for decluttering. Just sharing with people that care about you and want to see you happy.

I wish I had friends like yours and like you!

 

[Calico]

I would rather spend an hour with a fat, lazy, drunk friend than spend a minute with a friend who was intent on coaching, "improving", and cajoling me.

Thanks for the Friday afternoon laugh at w*rk!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

This reminds me that the time for my next year's goals is coming up. Megacorp demands they be "SMART" goals. I told a coworker my goal should be to go another 12 months without walking out one day. After all, it's Specific, Measurable, Achievable, etc. It's also a stretch.

 

[Totoro]

Also meant to say that I'm very fortunate that my friend is an ENFP and can see things that I can't when my INTJ-blinders are on in full gear - and I help talk her down sometimes. We make a great team.

Am a male INTJ myself and dating (early stage) an ENFP right now. Any hints?

Been an interesting experience so far, but at times I think I need a manual ..

 

[samclem]

Am a male INTJ myself and dating (early stage) an ENFP right now. Any hints?

Been an interesting experience so far, but at times I think I need a manual ..

Two:

1) Enjoy the wild ride.
2) Watch the educational filmstrip

 

[Options]

Transparent is new? I thought I made it it go out of style in the early 80s. A major upgrade to the online systems; management sent out notice to all customers(big banks, financial institutions etc.) the upgrade would be 'transparent' to them. Well there was a big issue, about 72 hours later service was restored for several thousand users.

My manager used to laugh about transparent, 'so is an airplane propeller at full throttle'.

Well like a bad case of....it's back. I heard that idiot from the IRS use the phrase "with transparency" during his televised testimony this morning and cringed (televisions in gym locker rooms should be outlawed for those of us who choose not to be nauseated by mainstream media).

 

[ERsoonihope]

Sept. 19 is my last day. My plan (which I stole from someone) is this;

Fishing in the morning
Whiskey in the afternoon

So I think I have lazy and drunk covered, and I figure fat will follow soon enough.

 

[ERD50]

Two:

1) Enjoy the wild ride.
2) Watch the educational filmstrip

That 'educational filmstrip' was right on! Oddly, DW did not see the humor. Whoda thunkit?

Sept. 19 is my last day. My plan (which I stole from someone) is this;

Fishing in the morning
Whiskey in the afternoon

So I think I have lazy and drunk covered, and I figure fat will follow soon enough.

Or you could reverse the order. Whatever you please.

-ERD50

 

[JacqJolie]

Am a male INTJ myself and dating (early stage) an ENFP right now. Any hints?

Been an interesting experience so far, but at times I think I need a manual ..

LOL, I know what you mean! Must be even worse as a man in a relationship... Whatever you do - or they do - they're excited about - and then they are praising you all the time and it's like "Why are you saying this? I do not require this affirmation thing that you are doing." And you make a mental note to yourself that you have to praise them today for whatever thing that they're doing because that seems somehow meaningful to them. But they're terribly insidious and they bring a bit of that out in you and you become a more open person. And you have to tell them that no, that other person couldn't have really meant what they think that they meant. Maybe this or that is the explanation and they're okay as they are. And then one or two days later it's like nothing happened and everything is sunshine and unicorns again and you're like What just happened there? And please don't make all that emotion happen again. But then it does and you have to be okay with it because they're just so... nice. And fun to be with.
But I think most importantly, they accept us as we are and don't try to change us. We just have to hop on the crazy train once in awhile while keeping one foot on the ground.

 

[JacqJolie]

I wish I had friends like yours and like you!

Thanks for that, but you can't have her!

Seriously, she's the one I can feel safe to tell when I've had a big win in the market or reached a milestone even though she doesn't really get the concept of FI/ER at all. So many other people in your life will say stupid stuff like "you're lucky" or "ooh, the millionaire blah blah blah". So you don't end up saying anything to anyone and it almost makes you embarrassed that you're doing well. She says "I'm SO happy for you - you've worked so hard for this. Now what?" OK, I can do without the last part sometimes.

 

[Green Hornet 21]

Goals

Excellent question. I have been a student of goal setting all the way back to the early 80s when I was in college. Read all of the great authors and adopted the strategies that worked for me both professionally and personally. Favorite author is Brian T. Tracy. The best one I have adopted involves setting your goals and then adopting sub goals or strategies required to accomplish the ultimate goal. He then suggests an exercise where you ask yourself " how can I accomplish this? You then write down the first 15 t0 20 ideas that come to mind. The first few will be the most obvious but the last few will be the most intriguing. Pick a few ideas from each extreme and explore. Yes setting goals and strategies has provided me with a great career in both good and bad economies, enhanced my marriage , and has allowed me to live the life I wanted to live. It will also allow me , god willing and the creeks don't rise, to retire in one and a half years, just shy of my 55th birthday. And yes I will continue to set goals and strategies even during retirement. It will not be work, it will be the thing that gets me out of bed each morning and causes me to drag myself to bed exhausted later that night. My first goal will be to prove my life long theory that it is never to late to have a great childhood.

 

[Totoro]

Jacqjolie: Thank you so much, these are exactly the things I've been experiencing, had to laugh quite a bit! Every single item you describe, including the sunshine and unicorns . Gives me some comfort that this can be expected.

Guess I'll see what direction the crazy train goes. Hardest part is figuring out what I can do to make her happy, and what to say / not say. It's actually why I made her do the MBTI on-line.

For the others, don't want to steer too far off-topic (SMART goals ..), thanks for your patience

 

[Jager]

Most of us went to great lengths for a number of years to escape this kind of bullcrap in the workplace. I quite frankly would rather cut off a toe (or better yet, your toe) than let this garbage into my real life. If it works for you, great. But you must not have read many posts here if you thought we would all start singing the company fight song.

+1.

Personal goals are fine. Deadlines are even better. Just not when dressed up in the corporate BS most of spent eons trying to escape!

My overarching "goal" in retirement is to not have goals. To not live the structured, organized, scheduled-to-death existence that has heretofore overhung my entire adult life.

My goal is to go with the flow. To be flexible. To respond to life more than to plan it. To live in the moment. To be happy and carefree.

To be more like my dog and my cat!