Are you thinking of starting a blog? Have you a blog but you are not sure of what to write about next? Do you know where you are going with your blog but haven’t written it down? I am challenging you to choose your path and commit by publishing it. If this doesn’t feel scary, think again.

The Value of Clarity

I think I have always understood the value of having a vision or objective for my vocation. I now see, with 20/20 hindsight, that I lacked the clarity to see projects through. In 1999 I started the first online art gallery to support Australian country artists. Apart from 1999 being way too early for a venture like that to succeed, I also often lost sight of the objective and meandered down the wrong paths. Needless to say, I did not write down my objective – never mind goals or steps to reach those goals.

Here is the google search on studies done on the benefits of writing down goals. The evidence is so overwhelming that I don’t understand why we all don’t do it as a matter of course. I say that tongue-in-cheek as I know damn well why. 

Searching for Clarity

Last century I participated in a (then) new-age course with a respected Green politician. We had to solve a problem as a team. I was amazed that he wanted to move the blocks around without taking time out to map out a strategy or provide active engagement for everyone. I learned then that our minds are not good at planning and doing at the same time. I know entrepreneurs who sit at different desks for each exercise to help with mind-set.

I have also spent a lifetime struggling with the tasks needed to attain a goal. I hate to think of how many detailed task-lists I have created that went stale due to the lack of a cohesive path. I had the most success with David Allen’s Getting Things Done technique – at least in terms of detail. He does talk about the “50,000 ft view”, but it did not ring the warning bells in me that it should. Thinking back, it felt more of an after-thought.

So we come to the present – almost one-fifth of the way through a century. It is time for me to reinvent myself – from software designer to travel blogger and photographer. In my search for knowledge and training, I was fortunate to come across an article on OGSM by Leigh Shulman. I was lucky it caught my eye as Leigh’s focus in on helping aspiring writers. I wanted to create a travel blog. I did not see myself as a writer. How dumb am I?

What is OGSM?

There are two answers to this question. Like many successful business and manufacturing techniques, OGSM came out of Japan in the post-war growth phase. It stands for “Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures”.

If I had seen it as a business focus strategic planning process, I would have moved on without giving it a second thought. Instead, it was mentioned in an article by or about Leigh Shulman – a creative writer.

You can’t get where you’re going if you don’t have a destination.

It is still OGSM, but Leigh has made it palatable for the creative individual, providing techniques that can be a life-changer. It turns things over to start with the big picture, objective, 50,000 ft view, or vision first. Her book “The Writer’s Roadmap” is a workbook for a better life, whether you consider yourself a writer or not. I re-read it as preparation for this article and find myself redoing the exercises to clarify my vision – er I mean objective.

Linda Fisler is another artist who has recognised the value of OGSM for the individual in “Do You Need an OGSM? Use Strategic Planning to Boost Your Creative Career“. While Linda’s article does not provide the tools that Leigh does, it does give a concise description that you may find instructive.

Why Use OGSM?

Businesses require strategic planning so that they can map out a path to reach a future objective effectively. So do individuals. Companies implement strategic planning because they need to show that they know what they are doing. Individuals tend to avoid planning for fear of failure.

OGSM is just one approach, but by using Leigh’s workbook, you can easily map out a future that will get you where you want to go. By asking you to write down what your ideal life would be like and what you do that is holding you back, she can then help you distil your objective into a single sentence.

The order is essential. Know your objective to set goals that will keep you on the path. Know your goals so that each step you take will be in the right direction. By knowing our destination and planning our route, we are much more likely to get where we want to be, both professionally and in our private lives. More success and less stress. Sound good?

Why Publish the Result?

In a word: commitment. If we have told friends or family, we are much more likely to monitor ourselves and reference our plan. You can even create an edited version to publish for a different group, as I have below, as long as it points to your core objective.

My OGSM

Here follows my OGSM as generated from Leigh’s worksheets. Note that you write down all your goals, but only set three or less at any one time. You will also observe that I have two objectives written down. The personal one is core as created by Leigh’s processes. That is the objective I am actively working towards. I needed a second community objective to record my desire to make a difference. Perhaps I should have a VOGSM and move it to the top as a vision – something to aspire to while working towards my objective.

OGSM is a valuable way of thinking. I have used it to map out my first BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) for 2020. It is the first concrete step for goal number 3 above. Note that it includes the community objective, sub-goals with attached steps or strategies.