goals

Advice That Rocks: Get Outside

This 1974 gem from Robert Palmer perfectly evokes the ennui of the modern professional worker. The lyrics describe the frustration of being stuck, with no way forward but the slog. The tempo and Palmer’s buttery vocals add a tangible feeling to the song’s intentionally depleted energy. Best of all, Palmer offers the perfect antidote:

Get outside.

As it turns out, Palmer was way ahead of his time. Contemporary scientists would approve. Give him a listen, and consider these benefits of the great outdoors:

Outdoor time counteracts the negative health impacts of prolonged sitting and Vitamin-D deficiency (two markers of office work). ²AsapSCIENCE, “What if You Stopped Going Outside?”
Observing nature counteracts what psychologists call “directed attention fatigue.” When you return to your desk, you will be less distracted, less irritable, and less impulsive. ³Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
Time observing nature correlates with improved attention to detail. ⁴Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
Nature walks decrease activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for brooding. ⁵Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, “How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain.”
Time in nature correlates strongly with enhanced creative problem-solving. ⁶University of Utah, “Nature Nurtures Creativity.”

Trust the science, and get outside — on behalf of your physical health, your psychological wellbeing, and your performance at work.

The world outside your office is simply irresistible.

[ + ]

1.	↑
2.	↑	AsapSCIENCE, “What if You Stopped Going Outside?”
3.	↑	Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
4.	↑	Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
5.	↑	Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, “How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain.”
6.	↑	University of Utah, “Nature Nurtures Creativity.”
7.	↑	Sometimes a pun just calls out to you.

Laugh Your Way to Meaningful Work

I love satire. It cuts to the heart of matters, and it makes me laugh. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see McSweeney’s tackling an issue that I feel strongly about — meaningful work (or, more to the point, meaningless work):

Despite the business being obscenely profitable, our office is overcrowded, we are underpaid, and our work almost certainly supports fracking, heart disease, and the blatant exploitation of the poor. In recent months, it has occurred to me that this makes what I do, at best, completely void of meaning and, at worst, totally amoral. In short, my life has no meaning… but, have you tried the new toaster?

If this hits too close to home, you can do one of two things. Either laugh it off and proceed, or…

Let the satire do its full work, which is both to make you laugh and to convey criticism. It should leave you chuckling, but uneasily, wondering, how did this happen? And, how can I change it?

How did this happen?

In one of three ways:

(1) Though you are not actually manipulated by perks like shiny new toasters, you do bear the paradoxical burden of your compensation and benefits. Golden handcuffs are real — and really tight. They stand between too many people and meaningful work.

(2) You are smart, hard-working, and an expert in your field. You care intensely about everything you do at work, pouring intelligence and energy into each task and decision — whether small or large, meaningful or meaningless.

These favorable qualities propelled you to your current position. However, you bring this intensity to every situation and task, indiscriminately. In doing so, you rob yourself of the energy and time required for discernment and the work that really matters.

(3) The likeliest culprit — some combination of both.

How can you change it?

Laugh (heartily!), but don’t laugh it off. Channel that self-deprecation into a decision to prioritize your impact goals.

Since you are already smart and hard-working, this doesn’t mean finding new time in the day. Instead, you must redirect your existing resources towards more meaningful goals. This requires introspection, careful discernment, and re-prioritization.

It is likely that the process will also entail some risk — financial, professional, and perhaps even emotional. Be clear on your tolerance for that, as well as the return that you can reasonably expect. To that end, have a trustworthy person in your corner, who will both challenge you and respect your boundaries.

Laughing it off may be easy, but it isn’t a strategy. It leaves you as restless as ever and does nothing to improve your professional footprint. By contrast, self-examination and change are difficult. They promise valuable returns not only for your work satisfaction, but also for your legacy — and for the positive impact you will make on the world.

Let’s be real: this is a fortunate problem.

Many, many people suffer extreme poverty, unemployment, under-education and other hardships that make the challenge of meaningful work a privileged one. In that light, the “paradoxical burden” of golden handcuffs seems superficial.

However, this gulf is all the more reason to leverage educations and opportunities wisely. We owe it to ourselves, our communities, and the wider world.

SMART Goals Aren’t (Always) Dumb

I recently came across an interesting hypothesis in Forbes magazine: SMART goals “act as impediments to, not enablers of, bold action, and actually encourage mediocre and poor performance.” Author Mark Murphy takes the position that we should aim higher than “achievable” and “realistic.” To make his point, he looks at two modern innovators, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs, both of whom pushed for impact with ambition and determination.

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe.” – Steve Jobs

I agree with Murphy, at least in part. The world needs big thinkers: entrepreneurs who will innovate mechanisms for sustainable food distribution; activists who will dismantle unjust structures; school administrators who will find a way beyond the testing morass; artists whose creativity will broaden our perspectives. As he correctly points out, SMART goals undermine ambitious impact when they limit us to the “achievable” and “realistic.”

What’s more, I propose that the other SMART attributes—“specific,” “measurable,” and “timely”—can be equally limiting. The grandest ambitions (e.g. to make a dent in the universe) are anything but specific, at least at first. Because of that and because they may not be empirical, they will be difficult to measure. Finally, we must face the reality that we might not complete the work alone, or even in our lifetimes.

“I may not get there with you.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Consider Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” The speech was delivered in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968, less than 24 hours before his assassination. It conveys both the beautiful promise and the daunting scope of his vision. He declares:

I’ve looked over (Yes sir), and I’ve seen the Promised Land. (Go ahead) I may not get there with you. (Go ahead) But I want you to know tonight (Yes), that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. [Applause] (Go ahead, Go ahead) And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. [Applause]

Behold: One person’s ambition, bigger than himself.

On the one hand, this example confirms Murphy’s point. On the other hand, King’s work included both visionary statements and very hard work. He collaborated with organizations, politicians, experienced activists, and ordinary citizens to bring about real change on the ground…one campaign, one lawsuit, one march, one meeting, one boycott at a time. The work was imperfect, incomplete, incremental, and inspired. The goals of the American civil rights movement were indeed visionary, but they were also—in their increments—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

There is hope for the SMART concept yet.

SMART goals can be a crutch for small thinking, but they aren’t the root problem.

The real problem is with SMART goals existing out of visionary context. When they stand alone, SMART goals deserve all the criticism that Murphy heaps on them. As he describes, the problematic isolation of SMART goals often happens explicitly, through, for example, lackluster strategy or performance reviews that focus only on the near-term.

However, it also occurs implicitly—and more perniciously—via organizational culture. In these cases, isolated SMART goals are a symptom of larger, cultural weaknesses that permeate the organization, affecting every position and business function. When an organization’s culture cannot tolerate change or when it prizes short-term over long-term outcomes, it undermines employees’ potential for vision, creativity, and impact.

By contrast, organizations with healthy impact cultures tie their work to mission at every turn. Accountability to the organization’s impact drives performance review and goal-setting processes, rather than following them or existing tangentially. Leaders both model and manage genuine support for strategic risks, creative problem-solving, and purposeful change. And employees, from the corner office to the smallest cubicle, embrace the freedom to think big. The SMART goals they set reflect this.

SMART goals are truly smart when they connect to impact goals.

When I was working on my doctoral dissertation, someone offered this wisdom: “It’s like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time.” It was brilliant advice, and I leaned on it throughout the process. I needed to think in increments because the full scope of the project was so unwieldy. Likewise, SMART goals are a tool for incremental progress—one bite at a time.

I suggest editing the “R” in SMART from realistic to relevant. When connected to a larger mission, SMART goals shine. They are extraordinarily useful for incremental progress on big ambitions. Instead of limiting potential, they connect bold ideas and beautiful aspirations to real-time actions. They enable positive impact by making it concrete: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

Whether you are moving towards a career ambition, your dent in the universe, or a nascent vision for a better world, keep your eyes on both the next bend in the road and your true north. You will only move in the right direction when both are in focus.

10 Ideas To Free You From Your Desk

From time to time, your office will feel stale. Maybe even oppressive. You may be procrastinating, in need of vacation, butting heads with your boss, or just drained by fluorescent lights.

Whatever the reason, recognize your restlessness for what it is. Don’t deny or judge it — just flip the script by changing your routine.

Try a change of scenery.

Hit the library. Libraries are free, quiet, and designed to enhance focus. While you’re there, take a few minutes to wander the stacks and soak up some literary inspiration.

Grab a cup. Coffeeshops offer soothing background noise, free wifi and unlimited caffeine. Need I say more?

Try co-working. Co-working studios have transformed my work more than once. In fact, I’m writing from one right now. They typically offer modern aesthetics, entrepreneurial energy, and a variety of workspaces (mine has carrels, sofas, shared desks, reading nooks, conference rooms, and outdoor seating).

Work from home. Treat yourself to a day at home, complete with your favorite tunes and your stretchy pants. Seek out the brightest room in your house — take advantage of that natural light while you can.

Reserve your office conference room. Can’t pull away for a half or whole day? Reserve your organization’s conference room for a window of time and escape from distraction right down the hall.

No laptop? No problem.

Cultivate a reading list. Maintain a folder of articles and either print or bookmark them for easy access. (Bonus points for actual books.) If you think can’t afford to slow down for this, you are wrong. Very wrong. You can’t afford not to.

Schedule a walking meeting or call. Stay alert for meetings that will not require note-taking. In my experience, this works best when your teams are reporting on status and for informal discussions with a close colleague. Do you sometimes find yourself pacing in your office? Take that nervous energy to the streets.

Schedule email sessions, and hit a park bench with your phone. This serves the dual purpose of removing you from your desk and imposing better email discipline. Turn off your email client in the interim. (I know, this one feels impossible. All the more reason to try it.)

Keep a running list of tasks that you do better offline. In addition to reading, my offline list includes outlining, theoretical work, reviewing client notes, proofreading, and task management. Grab your notebook and relocate.

Are you goal-setting regularly? You should. Goal-setting requires a fresh perspective, so it is tailor-made for unlikely settings. Try a sunny patio, a yoga mat, or even a bar stool. Wrap your week by reflecting on accomplishments and setting the next week’s focus. Allow yourself extra time at the end of the month and quarter to consider upcoming projects, performance review goals, and personal aspirations.

The idea is to experiment.

These ideas are low-risk, but substantial enough to alleviate the grind. Try one for a re-engagement hack, or incorporate them all to revitalize your work life. If your otherwise awesome job lacks flexibility, discover alternative spaces within your organization. Keep your manager abreast of where you will be and why.

Whatever you do, challenge the assumption that you must be tethered to your desk or computer. Get off the treadmill and take a walk in the woods.

JLP Strategy

Make your mark.