ob.jec.tive

/əbˈjektiv/

noun: a thing aimed at or sought; a goal

“If it’s stupid, but it works, it isn’t stupid…”

-Edward A. Murphy-

One day, a man wearing a jet-black suit (no, it’s not an iPhone color) arrived in Indonesia for his first visit to the country. He was famished and needed something to eat at a fast food chain restaurant famous for the Colonel’s recipe (Why didn’t he get promoted to general? The chicken is superbly delicious, I know.) Anyway, since he was alone and could not speak Indonesian, he used his phone to rely on the translation service when encountering people. As he was looking at the menu, the waiter asked:

Waiter: “Good afternoon, Sir. How may I help you?”

              (Surprisingly, his English was okay).

Man    : “Selamat sore, saya mau pesan ini // Good afternoon, I want to order    

                 this one...”

               (He said that at a pitch of someone swallowing a spoon)

Out of several options he could actually use, he decided to use this one…

            Man    : “Saya mau payudara crispy // I want crispy boobs…”

Yup, they heard him right…

Here’s the thing - he’s a foreigner in an unknown country he was visiting for the first time, unable to speak the local language. The fact that he was wandering alone and relied solely on his smartphone might sound stupid, but the moment he got his order right (which was the crispy chicken breast) proved otherwise.

At that particular moment, he had an objective set inside his head: “I want to eat a crispy fried chicken breast.” The thing was, he had no idea of how to achieve his goal. He realized his handicap, but used his brain to overcome it, which seemed stupid but actually worked.

In life, we have objectives, although most of the time we have no inkling of how to achieve them. For undergraduate students, defending their thesis may be their ultimate goal. For managers, leading their teams towards their goals is what matters. For vegetable vendors in your neighborhood, selling those veggies before the day ends is what they have in mind. We all have our own objectives and the obstacles that accompany them. You must have reasons to accomplish these things, so respect that desire and do something about it. You can turn this train around if you commit yourself to doing it. Here are some tips from Forbes that may help.

Look at it. A goal that you can actually see is massively more powerful than a goal you write down on a checklist.

Tell people. Making yourself accountable to your friends and family is one of the best ways to reach your goals. Sure, it’s uncomfortable to share your setbacks, but when you do, you’re going to get emails from friends who have experienced the same and they’ll get your mind back on track. When you tell people your goals, they will jump in the boat with you and help you get there. You will be shocked by the support you’ll get from your network. 

Break it up. Many people abandon goals because they’re just too dang big. If you’ve done this to yourself, stop now. Change your game plan.

Set a date. One of the best ways to knock out a goal is to put it on your calendar. If you put a stake in the ground and impose a date on yourself, you’re much more likely to reach it.

Be realistic. I’m sure if I asked everyone here, you’d all be just as interested in magically obtaining a bazillion dollars or finding the cure for cancer as I would. However, there are some goals that are just too out of this world, simple but true… You’re more likely to reach goals that you realistically set for yourself.

Commit to yourself. Last but not least, there’s only one person in this goal-setting process that matters. You. You’re the one who has to put the hours in at the gym. Commit to yourself and then re-commit yourself each time you fall (because that definitely happens along the way).