Be, Do, Have - Grasshopper

I was introduced to a goal setting strategy by my friend Hali. Apparently, it’s been around for a long time, but it’s brand new to me. In reverse order it’s Have, Do and Be.

The gist is to list 100 things that you’d like to be, do, or have. The trick is to list them as quickly as you can without a lot of pondering. They don’t have to be in any specific order and there is no quota for each category.

The goal is 100 but you can list more if you have more, or less if you have less. The payoff is in the pursuit of the exercise, not the amount listed.

For example in the Be category you could list the following: I want to be rich, famous, healthy, witty, or skinny. The Do category contains things that you want to do: swim with the sharks, go to Paris, write a novel, sleep ’til noon. And the Have category can list possessions or qualities you’d like to have: a motor home, a country villa, confidence or charisma.

The purpose of the exercise, best as I can tell, is to get you unstuck. It’s a way to spark your creativity and get you out of your circular thinking. It may also initiate an idea that’s been lying dormant, outside of your awareness, that’s itching to be released. Doing the exercise has you scratch past the surface and unearth it.

You can’t turn a corner if you’re going around in circles, and this easy to do exercise will lead you to several off ramps. Be willing to Do the list and Have new options show up in you midst.

All the best,