Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist of the late 19^th century, was a man who set big, big goals. Mr. Carnegie once wrote:

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.

 He clearly followed his own advice, expanding the steel industry in America to become not only one of the richest men in American history, but a major philanthropist in both the US and the United Kingdom.

It’s the Carnegie kind of goals that command your thoughts, liberate your energy, and inspire your hopes that I recommend. And how you state those goals is every bit as important as the goal itself.

In the following short video you will discover the difference between two types of goals: DO goals and WHO goals and why one is better than the other at “commanding your thoughts, liberating your energy, and inspiring your hopes.”

How to Set Goals that Command Your Thoughts, Liberate Your Energy, and Inspire Your Hopes

As a leader, when you create goals, do you write them as things you will do? For instance, do you write them like these:

• I will coach my direct reports.
• I will plan each day.
• I will communicate clearly my expectations for X project.

Notice that each goal is focused on what the leader will DO. And that’s legitimate.

Authentic Aligned Leaders, however, begin each day with a little different focus. Instead of focusing on DO goals, they focus on WHO goals. They ask themselves:  Who is the person I want to be for my family, for my organization, for my customers? They then write out the answers as affirmations. Each statement is written following the rule of 3 P’s:

• Personal
• Positive
• Present tense

It’s not stated as something you’ll DO, but rather who you will BE. For example:

• I am a supportive wife
• I am a loving, caring mother who spends time daily with her children
• I am a coach and mentor to my team members
• I am a strategic thinker
• I am organized person
• I am truthful in all my dealings with others.

I remember many years ago a speech I heard at a National Speakers Association Convention.  The speaker said,

“It’s not so much about what you are doing that matters, but rather it is about who you are being.”

I didn’t understand what he meant at the time. But over the years, it became clear to me. Our doing flows from our being – from who we are.

Being an authentic aligned leader begins with a high degree of self-awareness. The more aware we are of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, the more we’re able to consciously choose the changes we need to make in ourselves to become the kind of leader we need to be for ourselves, our teammates, and our organizations.

To learn more, visit my website, maryjanemapes.com. If you have a challenge you’d like to discuss, fill out the contact form on the site, hit submit, and let’s chat. We are always available to be of service to you.

May 2021 begin by you writing goals that will command your thoughts, liberate your energy, and inspire your hopes.

©2021 Mary Jane Mapes