There’s a lot of “goal setting” going on.

But there’s a little problem, which is this:

It’s not uncommon — as we all know — for people to achieve their goals but to be stressed along the way striving and pushing…or not quite as happy and fulfilled (as they anticipated they’d be) once they actually get there.

One approach to avoid that problem is this…

Rather than think only of your intended outcomes/goals/activities, think also of how you want to FEEL along the way…and after.

What do you want the EXPERIENCE to be like?

When I teach performance, communication and presentation skills, one of the core tenants I share is that the biggest mistake I see people make (in meetings, workshops, consultations or keynotes) is that they focus too much on the information they want to convey and not enough on the experience they want to create.

I think the same is true in life.

We often get so focused on everything we want to accomplish that we forget to consider how we want to feel along the way.

So as you look to 2017, take a moment to ask yourself,

“How do I want to feel? How do I want to feel as I’m moving in the direction of these goals and activities?”

Connected? Vibrant? Peaceful? Creative? Joyful? Inspired?

And including these as part of your process will go a long way in making your year what you truly want it to be.

Rock ‘n Roll,

P.S.

• • If you’re in a period of uncertainty or transition where next year’s plans and your “goals” are not yet clear, you might enjoy my TEDx talk on this topic.
  • If you want to take your communication and presentation talents to new heights, check out the Rock The Room® Performance System

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At some point, most of us want to quit.

Something keeps us going.

For each person it’s different, but for each person, it’s a driving force…what I call “The Throughline.”

My dear pal Jim Freydberg, the Broadway producer, sent me the image below a few months back.
I loved it. I looked it up and it turns out the image is all over the internet.

What I suspect makes this drawing so popular is that we all feel at times like we’re in that tangled mess…and we all think it’s wrong.

Sometimes we’re the sailing arrow; sometimes we’re in the squiggles…(or as the guitarist/songwriter Mark Knopfler says, “Sometimes you’re the windshield; sometimes you’re the bug.”)

It’s nice to know that everyone goes through this. Success is filled with screw ups, struggles and sideways steps. Welcome to life.

Years ago in the 1990s, I called Jim in a moment of great despair. I needed some advice and I needed someone who knew the emotional terrain of the performing arts. As a producer, he’d won a Tony award and not many years later, another one of his productions was panned by the press. He’d gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. So I knew he’d understand.

“I want to quit,” I murmured into the phone. He listened, absorbed what I was saying, and then replied. His voice was calm.

“You can’t quit. You can take a break, but you can’t quit.”

I got back up on my feet, and I kept going. I had something I wanted to share. It wasn’t entirely formed, it wasn’t entirely clear, but I knew it had something to do with helping people live life on their own terms, risk forward, and express their vision.

I believe The Throughline is at the core of every business, every Broadway show, every presentation…and every life. Your Throughline is why you do what you do, and once you know that, everything changes. It’s not about the goal; it’s about something much, much larger.

Whether you’re in the tangled mess or panned by the press, reconnecting with your Throughline will help you find your way out. Every time.

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