My friend Valeria Maltoni published a piece on “Goal Oriented Content” today. I thought it sounded like a combination of smart goals and resolute vision, both of which are concepts I try to keep close at hand. This started out as a comment on Valeria’s site, ConversationAgent.com,  but it got a bit long and, well, it ties into some of the stuff I’ve been wanting to talk about here as it pertains to Gearbox Magazine.

Smart goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
Resolute vision: a vision so believed in, it should not change – ever.

I think a lot of people today feel lost and are looking for road maps to get them where they want to go. “Hey. I’ll start a web-based business.” No shortage of maps to those destinations these days. They “like money,” so they hire Frito Pendejo as a consultant. He draws them a map to the “Time Masheen.” Now they have a map. Hooray!

Unfortunately, many focus on going into business first to make money for themselves, all other considerations, second. Haven’t they looked down at their ID cards and noticed they are “Not Sure?” People don’t part with hard currency unless they perceive some benefit in doing so. So, back to resolute vision, I’m not focused on making money whatsoever. Any money I might make with my business goes right back into serving the community – in providing them value. Yes, I would like to make enough with Gearbox to allow me to devote myself to the community full time, but I’m not looking to get rich or anything like that.

I say forget the maps.
Maps merely show the paths already trodden, paved over, and packed with mindless commuter cattle. You can’t innovate with road maps. To truly innovate, you need a compass. A compass guided by those core, resolute visions of the future. Look into the future. How are my customers more than just customers? How are they partners, friends, family? How will my efforts today make their tomorrow better?

One of, if not – the – resolute vision for Gearbox Magazine:
Show automotive enthusiasts they matter on a global scale.

This is our compass. This is our sense of direction. We’re going that way. We’ll take established roads and highways when and where it makes sense on our journey, but don’t be surprised to see our turn signals coming on where there are “no exits” right before we jump the curb, cut across the park, and disappear into the woods.

What about goals, though?
I would still like to do a separate piece on SMART goals, but it would be daft of me to link back to Valeria’s post about goal-oriented content without actually touching on goals. In a nutshell, SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. How much easier is it to set goals on this order when you have a sense of direction unencumbered by trying to follow someone else’s map? Smart goals keep you on course. If we say we’re going “that way,” how do we make sure we stay the course? Answer: smart goals or, as Valeria put it, goal oriented content.

With Gearbox, I’m trying to get gearheads talking to each other irrespective of platform, pursuit or place. The only way I can produce goal-oriented content is to ask myself, with every question I ask an interviewee, with every little tweak I make to the website, “How does this encourage gearheads to get to know each other?” Now, because I truly, with every fiber of my being, believe in my vision for Gearbox, I know the questions I need to ask to stay on course, though it’s easy to get caught up in the sheer awesomeness of how it feels seeing this start to get traction, so friendly reminders from time to time certainly help.

Thanks for the reminder, Valeria.

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