I was in the throes of making what was for me an important investment decision, when I was reminded that I might be going down the wrong path – because I was unclear of my objective, jumping right to a strategy, or perhaps even had the wrong objective (if I was completely honest with myself).  And this was a bang-on assessment.  I wasn’t clear on my objective, so how could I possibly identify and feel comfortable with a strategy without this important context?  It was a bit of a wake-up call, but I quickly got back on track.

This made me think about so many things in life and business, where the inclination is to jump right into action or to a strategy – the “means” – without first recognizing what it is you are trying to accomplish – the “end”, or the objective.  I wonder how often we fall into this trap without really realizing where we’ve gone wrong.  There’s a lot to be said for having a strong and clear sense of purpose, regardless of whether it’s in life, work, sports, etc.  It’s important to step back for a moment and think…objective first, then strategy.