Goals Can Be BIG or Small

BY RICH KIRKHAM  

Big goals. Small goals.  What is a goal?  When is a task a goal and goal a task?  When is something as routine as ‘getting out of bed” a goal and not just a daily occurrence or habit? The answer is, “Goals become goals when you want them to be!”

SMALL IS GOOD.  In life we start out small.  We grow.  We take baby steps. Its ok to have small goals because big goals are made up of a whole bunch of small goals or what we sometimes call tasks.  Let me share a story. I have been a member of a Rotary club for many years.  Rotary is a SERVICE club and Rotary has taught me a lot about what SERVICE really is.  Service can be big or small.  In Rotary we have what we call ‘weekly service assignments’ that you can sign up for.  What are these?  They are small, simple ‘duties’ that include greeting at the door, leading the pledge of allegiance, and offering a prayer or thought at the beginning of the meeting.  Really?  That’s service?  That’s all there is to it?  Well of course!  To a Rotarian smiling at someone, saying hello, shaking hands with someone, is a form of service.  On the other hand our Club has BIG service projects too, like producing the Nutcracker ballet each year, building an accessible children’s playground, and sending teams of volunteers to other countries to help access clean water, and promote friendship. But even these BIG service projects, or goals, are broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks or goals.

LIFTING A FINGER.  We have a friend who is an amazing pianist.  Recently she had a debilitating stroke and she was in a comma for several weeks.  Finally she got the strength to blink her eyes and wiggle her toes.  The doctors and her family were over joyed at her progress and her achievement.  When she finally could lift her finger and touch a small musical keyboard to play one simple note, tears of joy began to flow.  Why?  Because for her it was progress.  She set a simple goal and then went on to make it routine.

CONCLUSION.  Never be afraid to call something small a ‘goal’ if it is helping you move forward in life.  Never be afraid to start over again.  Never be afraid to celebrate even simple things in big ways, because you will find that you will be smiling more, waking up more consistently on time, and a thousand other small things that will create discipline and effectiveness in your life.  So keep on goaling!