Nearly three-quarters of U.S. employees say “being happy” is the most important aspect of their work experience right now, according to MetLife’s 21st Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study. But what does “happy” mean to you? Setting goals to do more of the type of work you enjoy is one part of the equation, but knowing what not to do can help, too.
“An anti-goal is a way to customize your work life and decision making,” says Selena Rezvani, author of Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Boost Connections, and Make Bold Bets on Yourself and MetLife partner. “Do that by looking at what doesn’t serve you. You can figure out pretty quickly some of the frustrating patterns you might fall into, and what you want to actively avoid.”
How to Identify Your Anti-Goals
Rezvani suggests defining the type of days that sap your energy to identify your anti-goals. “People can usually be clear about what makes them feel frustrated,” she says. “Look at good and bad experiences, using the past to guide you. Nothing’s wasted; negative experiences can help create your own personal mastery.”
In addition to calling on the past, Courtney Harrison, chief human resources officer at Auvik, a network management software provider, suggests taking a science-based psychological assessment that can provide information on what naturally motivates and drives you. From there, you can identify what does the opposite.
“Even if [the test doesn’t] have a section that shows what de-motivates them, we can identify those by finding the opposite of our natural strengths,” she says. “For example, if you thrive on rules, structure, and guidelines, you will likely struggle and procrastinate with an assignment that is assigned to you as an open-ended ‘white-board assignment’ with freedom to figure it out yourself.”
By identifying and documenting anti-goals, you can proactively design your work life instead of staying in reactive mode and dealing with whatever comes your way.
Sharing Your Anti-Goals
While you can keep your list of to-don’ts to yourself, Rezvani recommends discussing them with your supervisor during performance evaluations.
“As you set goals, discuss this with [your] manager,” she says. “You don’t have to use the language of ‘anti-goal,’ but you can make a point to be vocal about what you’re looking to avoid. Maybe it’s a type of work that feels like a very low growth opportunity. Defining that for other people can make a difference and help them steer the right kinds of projects to you.”
Harrison recommends asking your manager for the resources or accommodations necessary to enable you to succeed. “For some, that could mean providing you more autonomy and less structure, and for others, it could mean asking for more details and guidelines,” she says. “Many times, when we avoid the steps necessary to accomplish key goals, it is not because we aren’t motivated by the outcome but because we aren’t motivated by the process in which we need to get there.”
Why It’s Important
Identifying your anti-goals will not only help keep you engaged but also preserve your reputation. For example, if a task drains your energy, putting it off or avoiding it is natural. Harrison says that procrastination can often be misconstrued as being lazy or careless, but that is rarely the case.
“Individuals just need the tools to identify their strengths and weaknesses so that they can alter their behaviors to best suit their natural tendencies,” she says. “Avoiding responsibilities entirely or putting things off until the last minute can have a negative impact on others, especially if the work we are putting off is cross-functional in nature.”
Identifying and voicing your anti-goals is really about happiness and fulfillment, says Rezvani. “When you are actively shaping your workplace, it boosts your happiness, your job satisfaction, and your engagement. It’s important to name your aspirations, but it’s also so important to intentionally design your work around what you don’t want and what you want to spend less time on.”
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