Are You Thinking Challenged?

I do not know how you feel, but I am about sick of goal setting, SMART goals, and lectures on how to determine what you want. I am even sick of hearing myself say it to others!

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons[/featured-image]

Yet, I, like so many people, seem to lack clarity in what I am working toward. Why are so many people clueless about what they want and/or how to get it?

Why We Are Not Thinking for Ourselves?

• We are wealthy. I bet those who have to gather water everyday do not concern themselves with goals or mission statements. Only those who have the luxury of free time (yes – you have tons of it) have time to ponder such issues.
• We live impulsive lives.  We are used to being told what we need. We walk into a store and others tell us and show us what we cannot do without. We tend to do the same with our careers, our goals, our families, our votes, and our health. Someone will speak to you tonight about being a better parent and how to set goals, and you will come home charged up about how to be a better parent until…
• We were never taught to think for ourselves. We have always been told what we need and what to do. How many times have you heard “go to school and get a good education”, “get a good job”, or “get your kids in a good daycare else they will never get into college”.

As a wealthy and thinking challenged people, we have rarely had to think, make decisions, or even care about the outcomes of our decisions. Someone else was doing it. Someone else is always telling us what to do, what to care about, what to protest, what to think.

Today’s Challenge

Try listening today. Yes – I realize the irony of me telling you something else to do, so instead consider it a challenge. Pay attention just today how many times is someone telling you what to think. Perhaps you should even go for a count. No wonder you have a hard time getting clarity.

[reminder]What examples do you have of your clarity being sabotaged by other people telling you what to think?[/reminder]