If you're on Facebook like me (and let's be honest, millions of us are), odds are good that you've been invited to bite, rate, vote on, compare or buy & sell your friends on a almost hourly basis. Most days, it can become down right annoying. True, I can also send them some good Karma (and who can't use that), but without sounding too much like Andy Rooney, how is sending my friends another fruitless application going to shift the cosmic flow of the universe to reward me? I almost feel as if I'm going to receive bad Karma for such behavior.
But the other week, when a friend of mine invited me to be one of his "Accountability Buddies," I was intrigued. This sounded much less frivolous than discovering that I am most like Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. Could there finally be a worth while Facebook application?
I've discovered that there is. It's called Goal Post.
Unlike many of the invites I receive on Facebook (I am a fan of the Causes), Goal Post is not asking me to poke or prod anybody. It's encouraging and empowering me to live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life (and you know we're big cheerleaders for that around here), by setting my personal goals and then asking my friends to make sure I stick to ‘em.
I know this sounds like a pretty tall order for a social networking feature, but in talking to the application's creator, Keith Ferrazzi, he tells me how we all get by with a little help from our friends, especially when it comes to attaining our goals.
Keith adds, "you can't do it alone. This is the key to success where in the past you may have slipped! Choose three friends to serve as your accountability buddies. Knowing they are watching you will help you to stick to and reach your goals. I like to call it peer-to-peer pressure. They can cheer you on, send you inspirational songs and helpful website links, whatever it takes. I'm doing this with my sister and a few friends already."
A screenshot from Goal Post
I tend to find this true in my own life already. Whatever my goals, dreams or ambitions, the more I share them with my friends, my support group, the more often those goals become reality. Given that more and more of us are living our lives online these days, Goal Post definitely seems like it could help.
So, I did the the next logical thing. I went to Goal Post to set my goals and enlist my friends. Keith provides some more insight here. "Your goals must be SMART," he says. "Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound."
To that end, the Goal Post application breaks out potential goals in seven different areas: health & wellness, spirituality, job & career, intellectual & cultural, financial, deep relationships and giving back. You can choose from suggestions such as, stop eating fast food, learn to meditate, have dinner as a family five days a week, volunteer one day a month or you can enter your own. You then enter a date by which you want to attain your goals and select at least three friends to hold you accountable.
Another screenshot from Goal Post
I've started meditating recently, but have been lax in doing it on a daily basis. So, I set daily meditation as my goal (feel free to send some inspiration and become a friend). I selected four friends that I felt would really help me stick to this (or chew me out if I didn't).
Now if you really want some good karam, you can help your friends out in the same way they're helping you. "You should also rally your friends to make improvements in their own lives," Keith says. "Don't leave them in your dust – bring them along with your success."
The friend who sent me the original invite is trying to get it better shape and hit the gym more often. So, I used the application to send him some music that helps me power through my workouts.
You can get to the Goal Post application here or login to Facebook and search for "Goal Post."
So what are you waiting for? Start attaining more of your goals now!
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