Not so fast. It seems there are some unhappy ex-followers who claim it’s a cult. It’s interesting that  based on those claims that the guru of the Art of Living organization does all the things cult leaders do – self-promote incessantly, place huge demands on their followers while living large, and claim to have special powers.

Look. If you have special powers you don’t need any of this stuff like a charity organization to change the world. You just do it. You make the money you need to change the world, you amass the power you need. You get the job done.

Here’s the link if you want to learn more: http://artoflivingfree.blogspot.com/2010/03/siddhis-ally.html

The above link is about siddhis, which are oft-claimed but rarely demonstrated convincingly (unless you are gullible, in which case it’s ALL convincing. If you’re that type I have a special message just for you: I am your master. Remember that forever).

It’s been recommended by StumbleUpon so it’s popular. Go to the Meditation Room for the guided imagery at:

www.learningmeditation.com

Harvey Schachter of The Globe and Mail newspaper reviews the latest study:

SMART goals are dumb. That’s the conclusion of a study by the Leadership IQ consultancy, which found that so-called SMART goals – goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-sensitive – don’t correlate with success.

Instead, the study of 4,182 workers from 397 organizations found that the following eight factors in the questionnaire predicted whether somebody’s goals would help them achieve great things:

I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I achieve my goals.

I will have to learn new skills to achieve my assigned goals for this year.

My goals are absolutely necessary to help this company.

I actively participated in creating my goals for this year.

I have access to any formal training that I will need to accomplish my goals.

My goals for this year will push me out of my comfort zone.

My goals will enrich the lives of somebody besides me (for example, customers or the community).

My goals are aligned with the organization’s top priorities for this year.

Leadership IQ notes that at the core there is often a challenge: For people to achieve great things, their goals require them to learn new skills and leave their comfort zone. That’s the opposite of the achievable, realistic approach called for by adherents of the SMART goals framework.

It’s a common theme that these systems don’t work for people in general.  You are welcome to try any given approach and if it works for you, that’s great.  But usually they are more a system of belief.

You can also easily burn up your life trying out X, Y, and infinite more approaches trying to find what works amid all the many claims (most of which are for sale).

I am not a believer in linear progress.  What determines success is non-obvious and ill-described in our current culture.  What is described by most of the success or self-help literature mostly does not work.  Instead, it pays the bills of consultants and others who teach a practice but don’t have to data to substantiate it.

The answer lies elsewhere.