Shhhhhh…
We all have our Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG). The pie in the sky dreams we share with our friends. This stuff comes spilling out over a cup of coffee on a raining day or when we are around the campfire on a summer evening. But, we also have “speakeasy” goals.
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“Speakeasy” goals are the ones we don’t tell anyone. We keep these goals hidden and secret. We don’t want anyone to know these goals.
Why is that? What could possibly keep people from telling others about something exciting to them?
Fear of rejection is probably the number one reason. What if they think I’m nuts?
Or, how about this doozy we’ve ALL had issues with at one time or another: “I tried it once. I even told people about it. But, I didn’t follow through. Why would I tell anyone this time?”
Yep. I have one of those. It fits squarely into the “I tried once before and failed” category. I’m tempted to tell you what it is, but then it would no longer be a “speakeasy” goal for me. It would be out in the open. Frankly, it scares me to tell anyone about it.
I’m more than willing to tell you all about the book I’m writing. I haven’t failed at it yet. I’m even making progress toward completing it (small progress). I’m also willing to talk about my struggle with depression and how it has impacted multiple areas of my life.
As I think more about “speakeasy” goals, I’m trying to determine if I have more than the one. Have I whispered any goals to my wife or to my best friend? I can’t really think of any right now. I should probably keep a running list as they pop into my head.
Do you have “speakeasy” goals or ideas in your life? Are you willing to share them?
Let us know in the comments.
I’ve always wanted to create a product. It’s coffee in a can that’s flavored and tastes like the stuff you get at the gas station. “Truckerccino” It’s not your fancy restaurant cappuccino.
David, I would totally choose this over the starbucks version everytime.
Heh. David, that’s hilarious.
Even thinking about the goals I don’t tell anyone about is a scary proposition…
Probably this would be to be a full-time creative, making music and writing and supporting my family with those gifts.
Why do you think the secret goals are scarier? (I agree by the way.)
Rick, great post.
This reminds me of the story of “Joseph” and how he shared his dream, which got him in trouble twice!
I’ll agree that there’s a stigma about sharing our dreams as some think it may come off “haughty” or “arrogant”, but the fact is that most of us are doing it for the opposite reason: to reach out for the help of our network.
Personally, my goals are to continue with http://www.thebizofrelationships.com/ , eventually releasing my E-Book, then my podcast, begin speaking, and at some point release a book about the subject. However, I do have personal professional goals at work, but the main thing is to develop as a great leader.
Think of it this way: If we were all so afraid to speak our goals, they would never be accomplished. We would never open up the chance for someone to say “Hey, I know about that” or “Hey, I could help with that project.” It’s difficult for us as men especially to be vulnerable and put ourselves out there like that. Without it, though, there will be no progress.
The first step is always the hardest!
That’s the great part of actually speaking them. People will offer to help! People will also “hate”, but if we find the supporters, the sky is the limit!
Agreed. The sky is definitely the limit. It’s hard to ignore the “haters” at first, but once we have a solid support system then it’s like the haters don’t even exist.
If you’re confident in what your dream is you’ve just got to keep on truckin’.
I’ve shared those goals with only one group. They do still seem silly and unreachable sometimes. But I want to live on a hobby farm and teach sustainability and self sufficiency, mentoring people who are where I’ve been, making soaps and toiletries to take with my organic produce and herbs and edible flowers to the farm markets (taking some of this mentoring clients as helpers, to reach confidence and a sense of accomplishment), and then write in my spare time. Because I want to be a writer, and tell those stories. But I want to live the story most of all.
Shanna – Thanks for sharing! One step at a time #StartSis. Keep moving forward. You inspire me.
Hmmm…the secret dream / goal…I think about this daily. Not so much that I have a specific goal – but I have some ideas and I have a desire to move to a different place in life. Just recently I have come to a point where I can accurately and clearly define precisely what it is that I am not satisfied with and leads to frustration in my day to day activities. I’ve had a hard time defining that before. I dream of moving to a place where I can begin dreaming, move on to researching, then building, and then executing the dream. I think there is so much potential to have an impact for God and those in need and I can have joy and untapped energy and . Unfortunately at the moment I am tied to a reality (as we all probably are) of paying the bills. I am trying to do the Dave Ramsey thing so I can get closer to making a move toward that goal, but the light at the tunnel is so distant. I will also occasionally share part of my dream with perhaps one or two family members who are closest to me, but I mostly keep it up bottled inside. My dreaming for something greater and for more joy in my life is viewed (I think) as a threat to stability and outside myself, I don’t think that those whom I’ve shared a glimpse of it with think I am capable of finding a greater joy – I’m just thinking that the grass is only greener on the other side. But I believe in myself and for a greater future. I have been reading your blogs and posts and admire your pursuing “awesome.” I am also about half way through “Start” and have been taking notes as I read…it is a “start” for me, lol.
Excellent Mike!! We should talk in person about this sometime.
I do but if I told you then they would no longer be ‘speakeasy’ goals. Actually, can’t think of one that I keep secret. BTW – I had to look up the definition for “speakeasy” and it had a completely different definition than what I thought 😉
Hah! I had a definition in the post, but it was edited out at one point. Sorry. 🙂
Me thinks my speakeasy goals are so secret that I haven’t had the guts to tell myself what they are! I’ve been in a funk with writing and life and spirituality for a while now. I noticed you mentioned depression somewhere on your blog. Yep, my struggle too at times. I keep coming back to the keyboard though, even if I don’t share the plopped down words with the world. Thanks for the challange, ahem, encouragement.
I think we all have those goals we won’t even tell ourselves. 🙂 Thanks for reading and joining the conversation!
oh goodness Rick…I have those goals…the ones my heart fears to tell my head, and the ones my mouth wouldn’t dare form the words to share with others…