Every project needs a clearly defined goal. Without one, you’re flying blind.

Hmm, that analogy doesn’t work. How about “Without one, you’re not sure which airport you’re flying to”. Ugh. That analogy still sucks, but bear with me, because if you decide to land at a different airport mid-flight you might not have enough fuel to get there.

In engineering we’re pretty strict about forcing our users to define their goals. What do you want me to build–and why? We call them specs or RFPs or blueprints or wireframes. Clients hate them, but we love them.

Unfortunately, you can be extremely talented at eliciting other people to be really crisp about what they want, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into a personal habit.

Right out of high school I decided to start my own freelance consulting company. A budding young entrepreneur, I knew that studying business was a smart way to level up. I read over and over that goal planning was a key part of business development: what’s your 3 month plan, your 6 month plan, your 2 year plan?

That seemed ridiculous to me. How could I possibly know where I would be in 3 months, much less 2 years? I was an impressionable young lad, however, and I decided to give it a shot. What I learned is that the value is in the exercise itself, not the accuracy of your plan. Forcing yourself to be conscious of your career (and not just your product/service) is crucial to being a successful marketer.

I’ve written about goals before–on a blog that hasn’t been updated in at least two years. I haven’t fulfilled any of the goals I outlined back then, but that’s ok. I’d argue that I’m much further along in my career than I anticipated–although I’ve traveled along a different path. I’d also argue that my success (this is an internal metric, I’m not trying to brag or argue here) is because of, not in spite of, the planning I did back then.

“I’ll wait and see, because things might change” is a poor excuse for not having a plan. As an engineer, it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the details. After all, that’s your job. But every now and then it’s important to put on your favorite tunic, pretend you’re a Zen Master, and develop an Awareness beyond the Right Now.

So, what exactly is it that you want to accomplish?

What will it take to get there?

How do you get started?

Oh, and if you had multiple answers to the first question, you’re lucky enough to have a fourth one: Will working on all of these goals simultaneously distract you?

The answers aren’t always obvious. But like I said, it’s the exercise that counts.