Power Tool: The Ultimate Goal vs. the Unexamined Life

The conversation with a client might include questions like:

1. What would your ultimate goal look like?
2. What are the most valuable components it would include?
3. If you identified five or six components and had to give them up one by one until only two were left, what would they be?

Step 3

Step 3 has two parts.

Part 1 is a quality check on the previous steps. I go to the bottom level and help the client explore his values. This usually either validates or raises questions about whether the ultimate goal has been accurately identified. The conversation with a client might include questions like:

1. What do you value most in life? [Examples could be security, significance, wealth, health, achievement, meaningful relationships, faith, family, etc.]
2. What is the outcome you want?
3. What have you learned in observing others?

Part 2 identifies the priorities that must be preserved in creating boundaries to achieve the ultimate goal. Clearly chosen values support this awareness prior to moving to Step 4. The conversation with a client might include questions like:

1. What additional areas of your life must receive attention (be balanced)? [Wheel of Life exercise]
2. How would you rank order them in terms of value?
3. How would you rank order them in terms of required time?

Step 4

Now I go up one level and help the client create the structure that supports his ultimate goal and its components.
Boundaries that include accountability and provide margin increase the probability of success.

The concept of disciplined flexibility protects against rigidity that can feel like a straitjacket; at the same time, it reinforces the truth that significant gains do not come easily – they require discipline.

The conversation with a client might include questions like:

1. What-time consuming activities would you be willing to drop to make room for activities that will move you to your ultimate goal? [Discuss the need for margin; time and activity additions require commensurate subtractions to avoid overload.]
2. What do you need to do first?
3. Who needs to be included to achieve success?
4. How will these actions contribute to achieving your goal?

The Ultimate Goal vs. the Unexamined Life Tool, offers a clear strategy to help a client define his ultimate goal and then create the structure to achieve the desired outcome