Goal-setting & Humor?

[dhammapal]

Hi. This is my first post.
I have done many hours of google research on goal-setting (and humility-humor) and have never found anything about goal-setting and humor. Goal-setting seems to be regarded as an overly serious activity which I find discourages me from goal-setting.
Any links on goal-setting and humor appreciated.
Thanks / dhammapal

[RT Wolf]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Do you mean goals that are fun? Just set them, I've set some goals to go bungee jumping this summer and have a nice picnic and other stuff like that.

Or are you asking about how to make hte actual process of goal-setting more fun?

[dhammapal]

Hi RT and all,

Maybe humor is not a mere luxury or an escape from the Very Important Problems that are the subject of serious, humorless goal-setting. That Goal-setting is not the only cause of success and can be done in a playful way.

What do you all think?

Thanks / dhammapal

[Andrew Brunelle]

One of my goals is to be a stand-up comedian and a humorous speaker. If humor has nothing to do with those goals, I might as well give up now. The process of writing jokes, funny lines, and the like can be very fun and exciting, especially when you go somewhere and share them with others. A sense of humor is always better than not having one. It doesn't matter how bizarre it is either. Some of the ideas I come up with are bizarre and they make me laugh. So make sure you achieve your goals in a happy way, in a joyous fashion. Laugh your @$$ off.

[dhammapal]

To clarify, my problem with Goal-Setting is not from worrying about committing to achieving them, but just that I can’t create any interesting ideas.

[Smiley]

Well now that's a very different animal than what you posted about in the thread-starter.

Please expand on that experience of not being able to create interesting ideas. Is it of the "all of the good things have been done" variety? Or, "I have no idea what I really want?" Or more of just the low-level apathy (with which I am oh-so-familiar) that runs through so many people's lives that sounds mostly like, "None of it really matters anyway, and besides, I just have to go back to work on Monday"?

[joshbickford]

Originally Posted by dhammapal

To clarify, my problem with Goal-Setting is not from worrying about committing to achieving them, but just that I can’t create any interesting ideas.

Play with the desires in your head, and in your heart. What things do you want to do with your life. Make those your goals. Those are put there so that you can find your purpose, and the life you were made to live.

Your desires are a little roadmap to find what it is that you were meant to do. Have some fun with it. I have goals to pick up a new BMW in Europe, visit beaches on every ocean, speak to 50,000 people at once. There's amazing and fun things inside of you, just dig deep, find them, and then live them out!

[Yev]

I'm not too sure what you are really asking. If you want a bit of humor try Mark Joyner's Atomic Bombs. Start at the address below and step forwards or backwards.
Mark Joyner's Blog: Atomic Mind Bombs (Personal Development Brain Puzzle Cartoons)

If you are struggling to find what your true goals are, it is sometimes a good start to begin with the things you *don't* want. For example, you could say "I don't want to do a sales job", or "I don't want to work in an office" or "I don't want to be overweight and lazy". This will build up some momentum in your mind regarding your desires, and then you can try moving in the right direction and thinking of the things you *do* want.

[dhammapal]

Dear Smiley,

Yes posting here is really helping me identify the problem.

I like a teaching I read somewhere to notice something that obviously needs to be done and I am the only person who is going to fix it. (Does anyone have a link to the exact quote?)

Yes when I’ve been thinking about career there has been the idea that me getting a job will just involve myself in something that is going to be done anyway.

to be continued...

[Liara Covert]

I'm not sure if you seek to
1) identify goals which would enable you to improve your sense of humour or
2) brainstorm goals which would enable yout to apply your sense of humor.

My suggestion would be to try writing a lists of things you like to do and go from there. Ideas for what you can do as a related job or business idea may evolve from talking to people about your interests as well.

“If you want something done, ask a busy (or a funny) person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.” -Lucille Ball

[dhammapal]

"An American businessman was at a pier
in a small coastal Mexican village
when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican
on the quality of his fish
and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied only a little while.

The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more
fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate
needs.

The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his
time.

The Mexican fisherman said,
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children,
take siesta with my wife, Maria,
stroll into the village each evening
where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos.
I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American scoffed,
"I am a Harvard MBA and could help you.
You should spend more time fishing
and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat.
With the proceeds from the bigger boat,
you could buy several boats,
eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.
Instead of selling your catch to a middleman
you would sell directly to the processor,
eventually opening your own cannery.
You would control the product, processing and distribution.

"You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village
and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC
where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all
take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, senor?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed, and said,
"That's the best part!
When the time is right,
you would announce an IPO
and sell your company stock to the public.
You'll become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?"

The American said,
"Then you would retire.
Move to a small coastal fishing village
where you would sleep late, fish a little,
play with your kids, take siesta with your wife,
stroll to the village in the evenings
where you could sip wine
and play your guitar with your amigos."
Fun | Stephen Shapiro on Innovation, Creativity, Goals & Performance

[Jason S]

Relaxation is critical to effective goal setting... it's one of the paradoxes of success that when things are going your way, you can relax and focus despite (often intense) pressure.

Humor is a very effective tool for relaxing and finding focus. I rely heavily on self-deprecating humor when facilitating training and teambuilding sessions, and when speaking.

To integrate humor into goal setting, try these techniques to loosen up:
--Amplify. Take a goal to its extreme. (I want to make $500,000. $5M. I want all the money in the world.)
--Juxtapose. Pair your goal with something that's the opposite. (Once I get all the money in the world, I want to celebrate by splurging on a two scoop ice cream sundae.)
--Connect the dots. Pair any two items and invent a link between them. (Like your car and a spoon.)
--Find the story. Look at a person and make up a life story for the person.

Then, during the course of whatever game you're playing, insert something real, like a real goal or yourself. It's amazing how the ideas flow better sometimes like this.