How do you define "Great"?

The challenge of setting a goal - defining the parts.

As I try to break apart my own personal goals into something I can measure and take action on, the first challenge comes in the first goal: How do you define "great human"?

The larger goal it's in is "Raise great human beings that will make the world a better place."

My initial reaction is to define certain characteristics that I want my kids to have. Things like integrity, perseverance, humility, etc.

I'm not sure that's the best approach, though. Going down that path I suddenly have images of the movie "Gladiator" as Commodus tells his father, Marcus Aurelius, "But none of my virtues were on your list..." and then kills his father. Youtube link to the scene:

That's not the end goal I have in mind! While my kids are not Commodus, I do worry about unintended consequences if I explicitly define some characteristic, trait or virtue and they don't naturally possess it.

Worry aside, it forces me to ask myself, do I think someone is great because they are born with a certain trait or because they strive to have a trait? The truth is that I want to say I do the latter, but more often that not I don't know whether they are striving for or struggling with something and usually assess them on what they currently possess. Ouch, the truth hurts.

Well, my failings aside, it's the setting of goals and striving to atain them that I care about. That's my definition of great, so that should be what I measure.

Yes, there's a chance that there could be an "evil goal" that they strive for or, more likely, a wrong goal that I disagree with (e.g. I want to become a trillionaire!). However, I think if they're introspective enough to be setting goals in all aspects of their life and pursuing them, then they will be able to avoid evil or even wrong goals.

#lifegoals #goalsetting #measurewhatmatters

P.S. If none of this makes sense then you should probably go read my post on Life Goals