Watch for moving cows

[Theunicornhunter 2]

On a few occasions I have had the opportunity to present a lesson on setting goals for the new year. I like to use the following story:

 

A farmer was teaching his son how to plow the fields with a tractor. “It’s very simple – you just pick out an object on the far side of the field and don’t take your eyes off of it”

 

The son assured him he could do that and the farmer went on to attend to other chores. He came back a few hours later and discovered his field was a hodpodge of zigzag rows.

 

“What happened?’ he asked his son. “Didn’t you focus on an object like I told you to?”

 

The son replied – “I did exactly what you said but the cow kept moving”

 

I’ve read lots of advice about goal setting etc over the years but I enjoyed most Steven Covey’s perspective in The Seven Habits (a book I highly recommend by the way). If you’ve heard the term mission statement this is where it is from. Basically you identify what you value in life and make goals consistent with those values. He goes into much greater detail of course.

 

From that I’d add, if we don’t take the time to identify what we value we may find ourselves following a moving cow. I believe that those who will end up the happiest with their lives are those who’ve kept their choices in line with their values.

 

Let me illustrate: I had a roommate who during a parlor game was asked – if you had more time in the day – what would you use it for? She replied – she’d work on her music – she would love to have more time for that. She was talented but I lived with this person so I knew she spent a good five – six hours a day watching television. Her time was hers to do with as she chose I only wondered if she realized that she was making a choice – that she was “valuing” reruns of sitcoms more than music. I think of this at times because I too have been known to vote with the remote. The only relevant question is whether what we “value” with our actions matches what we “value” with our hearts or inner self.

 

Happy New Year.