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I pay my respects and acknowledge all Traditional Custodians of Country and on whose land I live and work. I recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
Always was, always will be.

Hey reader

This week, unmeasured has taken up residence in The Commons co-working space. I was excited to make the change. It’s lead to ideas of how I might utilise the new facilities I now have access to. I’m contemplating new possibilities, experiments and concepts for unmeasured. lt’s also an opportunity to meet people from entirely different backgrounds to myself and see things anew through their eyes - see the previous useletter. Seeing so much potential in this change.

Whilst I’d been planning to move for some time, for the aforementioned reasons, my intention was to wait until I achieved certain goals. Then a construction site started up across the road from home, where I was working. So I made new plans and reconsidered my goals. Identifying where they’re helpful and where they’re holding me back.

Every quarter I review my goals for the past quarter and make new ones for the upcoming quarter. It keeps me on track. Focussing my attention on the important work and giving me a target for the quarter. I’ve also annual and 5 yearly goals. It wasn’t always so. There’s a problem with goals and that kept me from this process for a long time. So let’s have a look at the problem with goals.

I got you

Michael

the problem with goals

I’m a fan of goals

But it’s a love hate relationship.

The problem with goals is that they give you no place to hide.

Goals make you accountable.

Accountable to the important work you’re meant to be doing.

Accountable to timeframes.

Accountable to change.

We avoid goals to avoid accountability,

and to avoid failing!

By not setting goals we can avoid failing to reach them, but we might also avoid success. Goals help us set ourselves up for success. They also put us on the hook. And the on hook is the best place to be when chasing success.

Of course, these are not real problems, just perceived ones. They’re problems to those that don’t want to feel the discomfort that goals might put you in.

One proviso. Goals might become problematic without regular critical consideration and reassessment. Blindly following goals is a problem. Goals have value when they’re serving you, and a problem when you’re serving the goal.

You got this.

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At unmeasured I take the argh out of architectural practice.

Helping architects rethink and find joy in their practice.

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