Erik’s Blog: Board Shorts and Business Suits

As my loyal readers have come to find out, I tend to throw out some lofty goals; 4 minute mile, 500,000 visitors a month, 12 blogs in 12 months, become a millionaire. And it isn’t like I’m starting from world class physique, (24% body fat, no running for 2 years), no websites blogs or otherwise for visitors to visit, and I’m in pretty hefty debt, school, personal, etc.

With these lofty goals I sometimes get a little discouraged when things are going slower than planned. I see the big goal at the end of the tunnel and not the journey along the way.

Recently, as I’m now on my finance book reading kick, I read a great book in the Rich Dad Series titled Cashflow Quadrant. In it, amongst all the great motivation to become financially free the author, Robert Kiyosaki, mentioned a way to begin knocking off goals in quicker. He says to “Underachieve.” But shouldn’t you give 110%?, you might ask. Not necessarily.

He states the reason so many people get discouraged during weight loss programs or exercise routines is because they shoot for the moon, trying to loose 50 pounds in a year, or trying to run that marathon. It’s good to have long term goals but in the short term set goals that are so easy to achieve you could do them t0morrow. Because then you will do them tomorrow!

Too often we try set goals that are so high, giving ourselves so much to do that we don’t do anything. It’s like getting so much work at your job that you get nothing done. Or some might compare it to analysis paralysis. You get too much information that you never make a decision. With goals you look at all you have to do and never do a thing.

How This Applies to My Blogging Goals

First off a quick thanks to Darren for posting about blog goals and sending out some link love to all those who participate. His post spurred me to finish this underachieve to success post.

My current blogging goals are set quite high. 500,000 visitors a month, I’m not even close. 12 blogs 12 months, getting closer, I have 9 blogs in my network but working on getting content up on all of them and writers for some of them is a full time job in itself. Lofty goals yes, but attainable within the year time frame I have given myself.

While I was reading the Rich Dad book I was in the middle of a discouraging outlook on all the blogs I was working on and how I’ve become rather stagnant in my traffic numbers. Underachieving sounded exactly like what I needed to do. I need to begin to look at the upcoming week and compare it to nothing rather than look at the upcoming week and compare it to how I’m doing on a grand scheme.

Taking things week by week and setting goals that are way too attainable (underachieving) will give me more confidence to move forward because I will be knocking off my goals like wildfire.

Instead of saying, as my current goal states, write 2 posts for each blog per week, I am now saying I will write 1 post on 3 blogs. 3 Days of blogging. I will exchange links for 1 blog, and I will comment creatively on one other blog. Easy. I could do that in a day but I’m giving myself a week.

I am going to also revamp my Weekly Goals section to more accurately reflect my new found underachieving status and keep to my word.

As an added bonus I think this will relieve stress big time because I won’t always be worried about the 500,000 visitors or 20 posts I need to do.