LIFESTYLE, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
March 4, 2024 | Waning Crescent
Even when you create SMART – specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound goals, your goals can lose relevance.
If you set the goal to read one book this month but instead read several parts of many different books….. technically, you didn’t achieve your goal, although you probably read more than the month before.
Sometimes a goal may lose relevance or need to be broader and less specific.
Recently, I was introduced to a new concept by R.J. Nestor in Aidan Helfant’s podcast EP37: https://www.aidanhelfant.com/podcast/.
The concept of Roles versus Goals.
Where at the highest level of our goals, we should create roles.
For me, roles and identity can almost be used interchangeably. In James Clear’s Atomic Habits, he says that if you want to create new habits, you need to make it part of your identity; this way, it’s more likely to stick. For example, I am sober, or I am not a smoker… those identities connect you to something to the point that it will be easier to do or not do something.
Reading a book monthly is a goal, and being an avid reader is a role. You can see my removing the specificity of the goal and focusing on the role it kept its relevance.
This is how you can apply the concept of Roles Vs. Goals
You can create a role for nearly anything and tie your goals to your roles. To start, you can make a role for these three areas of life:
- health
- wealth
- relationships
For example, mine are:
- healthy being in body, mind and spirit
- inspired entrepreneur creating value exchange
- devoted wife & family woman
Your roles can be something you already fully embody or they can be aspirational.
Your thoughts and feelings become your reality. Being clear on exactly what you want to create in life is your North Star. If you aren’t clear, perhaps you won’t create the exact thing you want. When you create a role you define who you want to become and connect to a feeling, it’s a powerful visualization tool.
For the highest level of your goals, create roles. From there, you can create specific goals related to each role.
Give this a try, and tell me how it works for you. Thank you for reading this reflection!
Melissa
I help women coordinate their business lives with their cycle to optimize their workflow for productivity, efficiency, and synchrony with their natural rhythm. I believe we are here to seek and find our greater purpose and make the most out of this life experience. I hope you join me on this journey!