Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [715]
FIGURE 38-5 What to Change, What to Change to, and How to Cause the Change in personal productivity.
What are your goals in life? Most of you want to succeed in business or you would not be reading this handbook. Some of you may change your mind about a business career after reading this chapter. Some of you may change your mind after a few years in business. You will probably have 50 years in the job market! You have objectively determined you wanted a business career, or you just wandered into the business school not knowing where you wanted to go, or you graduated in another curriculum and ended up working in business. Maybe your Dad, Mom, or a brother or sister influenced you to select a business career. It may be the right decision or it may be the wrong decision for you.
Goal setting demands considerable time and concentration. You need to reflect on what you like to do. Do you like to interact with people? Do you like the sense of accomplishment derived from helping someone? Do you like to work with young kids? Do you like to solve computer problems? Do you want to go into the family business? Do you have a few or many friends? How involved are you in community activities? What do you want to do with your life? What are your goals?
Goal setting should take place in five different facets of your life—personal, family, friends/community, work, and professional. You need some direction, some goal, so you have an idea of where you are going in each and all dimensions of your life to be able to balance your time across these facets to achieve your goals. Most of you are responding to events in each of these facets each day. However, you should be seeking activities that move you toward your goal in each facet. What goals are you trying to accomplish in each facet? Dimensions of your personal goals include physical, mental, and spiritual. Dimensions of your family goals include your relationships with Mom, Dad, siblings, spouse, kids, and community. Dimensions of your work goals include current projects, pay, and work environment. Dimensions of your professional goals include higher degrees, certifications, and new skills development. Do not forget that you will be on the job market for 50 years and your current skills may be obsolete in a few years.
What is a goal versus a necessary condition in your life? A goal is generally viewed as something where more of the goal units are better. Making more money now and in the future means continually striving for improvement. A necessary condition means that some amount of an item is satisfactory to you, more is not necessary. A goal may be to get an A in this course, while a necessary condition may be that you must get at least a C in order to take the advanced courses. There is a big difference in the amount of time, effort, concentration, and motivation required to achieve an A versus a C.
A goal for one person may be a necessary condition for another. For one person, a goal may be to run less than 8-minute miles in a marathon, while for another person, a necessary condition is to walk briskly for an hour three times a week. Doing well in the marathon means a lower time is better. You may consider walking three times a week as the minimum amount (the necessary condition) for maintaining your physical fitness.
For one person, a work goal may be to find a job where you can make as much money as you can. On the other hand, for another person, a necessary condition might be to find a job where you make at least $40,000 annually, but work in the outdoors. More money may not be important to you