WIG

Martha Beck in her book Finding Your Own North Star talks about WIGs - Wildly Improbable Goals. These are essentially the goals/ideas you have about yourself that seem big, wild, a little crazy, but something that gets your insides to do a little jump. Collins, J. & Porras, J. (1994, 1997, 2002) Built To Last has written about this idea termed BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) for companies. So as much as the concept is not necessarily new, Dr. Beck writes about them as individual dreams that one might have.

I'm thinking that perhaps Barack Obama had at some point in his life had such a goal. It seemed way out there, it seemed like it was maybe a little bit too crazy to even admit, but he probably said..."What the hell, I'll give it a go, it doesn't hurt to dream'.

In a coaching group I was in in the fall, we were encouraged to write such a goal. I was feeling somewhat uninspired by myself so I decided to write the first thing that came to my head...to not over think it...to not try to be eloquent and 'perfect' about it (as I am oft to do) and I wrote...I am paid to write. Just writing it now makes my insides get a little gooshy and perhaps some throw up in my throat (I'm sure you are glad you know that). That feels BIG and HAIRY and it also feels at this point improbable as I have zero prospects on this front BUT I am compelled to write (daily), I believe in myself that I am a good writer, I enjoy doing it, I get jazzed when I am praised for it...so just as Mr. President might have once done this very thing...so am I.

The really crazy and coincidental and serendipitous thing is that AS I AM WRITING THIS, my daughter asked me to do those fortune telling finger games (has been know as the 'cootie catcher') she got in a magazine. We went through the ritual AND my fortune....I am not kidding on this was....You'll write a best selling novel for girls. What the? I'm not sure I had a novel for girls in mind...but hey, I'll take it!.

Now I will tell you the impetus for me writing this. It is from a lovely two sentence note that my husband sent me yesterday that filled me with love, hope and inspiration. The note read...I wanted to let you know that every time I read your blog I am so impressed with your writing. You are a great and awesome writer. How cool is that?

So...How about you? Is there something in depths of your core dying to get out that makes you kind of feel a little woozy...what is it? Have a go at writing it down. Even get crazier and announce it to your friends OR in your blog or make a poster out of it....the bigger you are about your goal and how you 'engage' in it I bet the more likely you will set the wheels in motion to achieving it. Will the end result be the same as your WIG maybe/maybe not...It could even be bigger and MORE awesome than you can imagine....you've got to start somewhere! Oh and by the way...you can have more than one WIG (its all the rage).