Trim the Fat off Goals!

Goals are great to have, especially when they are jotted down on a piece of paper or the occasional napkin wrapped around your Starbucks coffee. They help keep people on track with achieving their desired outcome; however, it is the structure of the goal which will help determine how effective the goal will be.

Starbucks Coffee has a great corporate social responsibility goal, stated below, that describes their move towards reducing cup waste and becoming a greener company.

"Starbucks passion for reducing cup waste did not start with the Green Project. Since 1985, we have offered a discount to customers who bring in a reusable travel mug and will continue doing so. This is just one of the ways we are fulfilling our commitment to environmental stewardship while we work towards a long-term goal of 100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015."

Sounds like a pretty sound goal right? Wrong…I believe the goal is too vague when they state the company plans to be using “100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015.”  Why the option of reusable or recyclable cups? They should be more precise and pick one or the other. Here is an example of a precise goal…“By 2015, it is Starbucks goal to reduce cup waste by 100% by requiring customers to provide their own reusable cup.”

Goals which are too vague enable goal mutation, which means the goal mutates into a different goal and veers off-track from the original desired outcome. (Attention visual learners…I created a diagram that depicts the problem.) In order to stop a goal from mutating, individuals need to create goals that are precise as possible.

Remember: it is okay to have multiple goals; just not vague ones.

Switch it up!

Every Sunday, I pull myself out of bed around 8:00am and head to a local café called Amici Espresso. I’m pretty consistent when it comes to ordering; so consistent that the barista basically has it ready for when I sluggishly open Amici’s door. I normally have their flavored coffee brew or the dark roast of the day. ( Did you know…Amici has the best hazelnut flavored coffee I have EVER tasted!) There are always those other options to choose from, but for some reason I stick with my normal thirst-quencher …the brew(s) of the day. Don’t ask why; I just do.

Today, March 25, 2012, was different. I stepped outside my confinement box and made the daring decision to try something different. I know...shocking! What I tried wasn’t even a coffee! It was their spear-a-mante iced tea! This tea mixed two things I love…spearmint and tea. You know…I’m glad I ventured in a new direction today because the tea is just like their coffee…amazing!

Variety is essential. It cures the boredom that is caused by routine. If options are made available to you…try them because you only live once. Not only will it give you an entirely new experience, but it will unclog your creative mindset which has been compressed by repetitive routine.

Hear that sound? It’s the sound of an empty cup that needs a refill. Venture out…switch it up!