A Fool's Errand Why Your Goals Are Falling Short and What You Can Do about It

:	Roy Cook
:	A Fool's Errand Why Your Goals Are Falling Short and What You Can Do about It
:	Lioncrest Publishing
:	9781544516240
:	1
:	CHF 5.20
:

:	Lebensführung, Persönliche Entwicklung
:	English

:	184
:	kein Kopierschutz
:	PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
:	ePUB

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard how important it is to set goals. You've probably also heard a million different life hacks to help you reach them: get more sleep, meditate, journal. That's all helpful advice, but when push comes to shove, it won't help you lead a more fulfilling, peaceful life. That's because the key to success is how you pick the best goals...for you. The goals you set must be consistent with your inner core values. As Roy Cook shows, every person has 10-20 core values, unique to them. And when you build a life around your core values, success will follow. In the words of Socrates, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' A Fool's Errand is your indispensable guide to self-examination and value-oriented living. You will learn what core values are, how to discover them, and how to use your values to make wise goal choices. You don't need life hacks. All the tools you need are already inside you.

Chapter 1 1.Why Chasing Goals Is a Fool’s Errand

Nothing creates more stress than when our actions and behaviors aren’t congruent with our values.1

—Darren Hardy, author, former Publisher ofSUCCESS magazine

I couldn’t sleep. I was having panic attacks several times per week. Often, I’d wake up in the middle of the night, unable to breathe, thinking I was dying. My wife (Bernice) and I lived in ahigh-rise in San Francisco, and many nights after having panic attacks, I’d run to the window to get fresh air. This scared the hell out of me and Bernice.

After visiting different types of doctors to find out what was wrong with me and enduring anall-night sleep lab, I finally went to see a psychiatrist. After explaining my present job and an unethical request, he knew immediately what the problem was—integrity.

I was a partner in a New York–based marketing company. After eighteen years, they asked me to lie on a deposition so they could avoid a potential court trial. I knew my choice was to lie or change jobs.

I was hesitant to leave my current company because I was earning a lot of money. I had drivers take me everywhere, flew first class, stayed in the best hotels, and ate in the best restaurants in the largest US cities. Frankly, I was spoiled.

It was then that I discovered Hyrum Smith and Stephen R. Covey. I read their books. Their words spoke to me. They introduced me to the concept of core values. For the first time, I understood that everyone is different and has different values. I also knew that I had no idea what my core values are.

What Are Core Values?

So, what are core values? I’ve never seen a better definition than the following, by Dawn Barclay, a personal trainer and coach. (This is the definition I will use throughout the rest of this book.)2

Deeply rooted fundamental beliefs. Guides that dictate your behavior and actions. The foundations of what is driving your decisions. Ingrained principles that help you declare who you are and what you stand for.

When I first read this many years ago, it hit me right between the eyes. I discovered my eleven core values and decided it was time to apply them to everything I did. My ethical dilemma at work would be a good first test on how living a life founded on core values would impact my health, happiness, and fulfillment.

First, I created a spreadsheet. In the first column, I entered my eleven core values. At the top of the next two columns, I wrote down my current job and another possibility—starting my own company with a wonderful partner, Vince Cucci.

I wrote a number between one and ten in each box as to how well my current job or starting a new company would honor that particular core value, with ten being the highest score. Then I added up the