Kindness As a Goal Setting Superpower

There are many popular phrases about kindness -

“He killed them with kindness,”
“A little kindness goes a a long way,”
“You’ve got to be cruel to be kind,”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

However, in the business world, and schools of warrior mentality training - there is not a great deal of attention given to kindness.

This is unfortunate, because true kindness actually holds immeasurably more power than we tend to give it credit for. Kindness requires an act of vision and intention made up of three key ingredients that give the mind ample room to see a situation clearly, allowing us to respond with just right and appropriate creative act. Kindness is really hope deployed in practical action.

!). Serenity is the foundation for kindness. Your own mind must be settled and not clouded with emotion so that you can see and assess the situation accurately. If you are not clear about what’s happening, your actions will be misguided, or even worse, make the situation worse.

2). Empathy is the next pillar of kindness, moving from a base of serenity we can see the other person and get a glimpse about their drivers, motivations, fears, hopes and pain. This helps us understands possible next steps and a path forward.

3). Encouragement is the third and most important act when activating the super power of kindness. Having taken the time to truly see and empathize with someone and accurately assess the situation, we now have the chance to offer the proper dosing of encouragement. There is a finesse to this step that takes practice and discernment - but like all things, practice makes perfect!

Ultimately, kindness is about taking the time to accurately and compassionately see the situation so that we can act appropriately, starting with Serenity and Empathy, and then delivering inspired words and/or deeds of Encouragement. 

It’s also important to call out - kindness should not be confused with coddling or spoiling someone. There is an active energy to kindness that eschews destructive types of enablement and babying.

Developing kindness as a secret Rocket Goal setting skill will not only give you a competitive edge in a world clouded by anger and confusion, but perhaps most importantly, learning to be kind will allow you to be kind to yourself - and give you the confidence and courage to treat yourself with kindness, rather than momentum crushing cruelty, on your goal setting journey.

Learn to be objective and clear sighted about your progress, or lack of progress, and give yourself the appropriate levels of gentle encouragement or stern rebuke as needed - but always do so from a place of Serene, Empathetic, and Encouraging kindness.