Persistence in the Goal – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

Photo by Sébastien Marchand on Unsplash

As another year draws to a close, it stirs up plenty of emotions: about what we achieved, about what we left half done, and about what stayed exactly as we dreamed it, in our dreams. Every year we read about hitting targets, setting goals, achieving more with less and so on. Yet we read little or nothing about the purpose of things, of people and of organizations. Today this small but powerful word keeps gaining ground: PURPOSE. A key ingredient, maybe the ingredient in every recipe for reaching goals, and one we’ve cheerfully overlooked. Why does a clear purpose give us a unique perspective when it comes to reaching a goal?

Projects, companies, organizations, targets, goals, missions, visions, strategies and plans are born from ideas, from the need to bring order to chaos, to align expectations among the people building them and, above all, to make efficient use of the time and resources at hand. They all share one thing: they all aim to get somewhere someday. A strategy will always be a tool for repeating something we already do well, so we can keep making the most of it. A project takes us from point A to point B by assigning it resources and time. A vision tells us where we see ourselves at a given point in time. And a company is born to offer a product or service that improves people’s quality of life.

In pursuing visions, goals and ventures, it’s easy and common for things to get distorted and lose their way or, worse, to be abandoned or carried out halfheartedly. Much of the blame lies in unclear values, and the rest, perhaps the larger share, in the absence of a firm purpose. Values and purpose sit at the center of any organization, and the origin of any idea depends on them. Purpose defines the core essence of a person and of an organization. Values are the frame of reference, the field on which we walk, act and work.

In my case, three values I try to let shape how I act every day are passion, courage and meaning. I’ve also seen exemplary organizations whose values clearly define their culture and who are almost devoted to living their purpose every day. The loss of will, energy and accountability when goals get shelved happens mainly when the values and clarity of purpose we started with get shelved too. That’s why constantly recalling what things are for (a much more useful question than demanding why) is a simple, powerful way to put energy back into any system that has lost its drive.

Interestingly, simply writing a goal down with pen and paper makes us considerably more likely to reach it. Likewise, with a clear purpose before setting out on any project, venture or goal, we’ll have a lighthouse that always shines, a compass that always points north or a GPS that shows our position and destination at every moment. What is your life or company purpose before you start building your 2022 strategic plan?

Warm regards,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. I dedicate this post to the Guatemala Chapter of the International Coaching Federation.

This week the International Coaching Federation (ICF) welcomed the ICF Guatemala chapter on its blog. As a coach and member of the newly formed chapter, I’m very proud of this small yet big step for coaching in my country and in the region. Several of us in the chapter attended welcome meetings, watched very moving videos from ICF staff congratulating us on forming the chapter, and are already active in several ICF chat groups. We’ve felt firsthand the heartfelt messages and warm welcomes, especially from other chapters around the world. Gratitude, pride and responsibility fill my thoughts as I write, along with the joy I share with every one of us who believed in the dream that has just come true. It’s a unique moment to keep working toward excellent, high-quality coaching, and a good moment to join this newborn star. Welcome, ICF Guatemala Chapter.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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