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There has been an on-going discussion on Mike Donghia’s of post The Un-Productivity Manifesto which covered the pros and cons of setting goals. It was a very controversial topic with some people considering productivity the marker of a good life, and others who believe you should not waste time setting goals. I posted what worked for me but I wanted to expand on it here. Simply put I’m not a fan of goals, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work towards something in your life.
A goal is a defined thing, a calculated thing, something you can miss or fail at. ‘I want to lose 50 pounds before my birthday’ is a goal. ‘I want to save $300/month’ is a goal. They are intimidating, and unless you are someone who has never failed they probably do not inspire action. Whenever I set a goal I usually manage to achieve the opposite. This starts a cycle in which goals equal failure.
Setting a direction is different. Setting a direction is liberating, and comforting. It helps you figure out what is most important and decide what is working in your life. A direction is choosing to live a more healthy lifestyle. It is choosing to be more mindful of your spending. You cannot fail at a direction. You might lose your way and stumble off of the path, but that stumbling then becomes the path, and you just choose to head back in the direction of where you want to go. There is no end to your path. You choose it until you don’t want to anymore. Maybe you have walked it enough and its time to go in a new direction. Or maybe that direction just wasn’t for you after all and you have successfully learned more about who you truly are. Then you just find another direction and go.
Lets say you decide to go on a trip. When you set your destination and time to be there you have now created a goal. Anything that gets in your way is a bother, it is something that is keeping you from your goal and can stress you out even throw off your whole experience and ruin it for you. Have you ever been stuck at an airport due to delays? I bet it wasn’t fun. Now lets change the scenario a little bit. Instead of having a specific destination and time in mind, you just chose to head in the direction of Florida. The whole experience is different. You have an idea of where you want to go but there is no pressure. Now the airport delay is no longer a disaster; it’s and adventure! You can enjoy it and experience the possibilities that it opens for you. Maybe you meet a new friend, or find time to read a book that you have been too busy for. Maybe you find out that tickets to some place better than Florida are available for the same price and you can go have an adventure there. What was originally a problem is now a new experience. Setting a direction instead of a goal helps you to be in the present moment and enjoy life instead of thinking about the future.
Is this possible with everything? Maybe, maybe not. In this world of business trips and family responsibilities maybe you have to have a goal in mind but you can still focus on the present and accept whatever life throws at you. The importance is to not force more pressure onto your self by setting goals. What are two directions you can set for your life today? Let me know in the comments!
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{ 4 comments }
Hey Scott!
I love this post. It is exactly the point of simplifying or living the minimalist life! Stopping to experience each moment for the adventure it is rather than blindly working toward a set of arbitrary goals is what will bring true happiness. Setting our “direction” or journey toward inner peace and kindness towards others will help us more easily get over the many bumps on the road that come our way. This is especially important to remember in this season of rampant consumerism and the stresses of obligatory entertaining.
Thank you for a very timely and wonderful reminder of what really matters most.
I’ve heard a lot of controversy lately about goals. I guess I’ll play devil’s advocate here but I still have a hard time imagining my life without them. I have a goal of having both my honey and I be full-time self employed on our web businesses. We’ve taken steps for 3 years now towards that goal. We’re halfway there. If I never set the goal, would I have worked so aggressively to get to it? I don’t think I would have. Would I keep working so hard to achieve it if I dropped the goal right now? I don’t think so.
I like the idea of “direction” that you bring up in this post. For me I think it still has to be “direction” towards my “goal” though. It may be just a matter of semantics here.
I like the post Scott and it definitely made me think. I won’t be offended if you don’t publish my comment!
Happy holidays,
Tanja
Quite a few of my friends have had made the same point to me about goals. It got me wondering if It is just a matter of perspective. In my head setting a goal equates to failing, because that is what has been my experience. I know other people who set goals and it seems like instantaneously they find a way to achieve it. They know they will attain it and it is a positive motivator for them.
When I set a direction for my self I do so with no pressure, and it allows me to gain the most from the experience. I always set directions geared toward what I want my life to be about, but because I have no outcome there is no guilt or feelings of failure.
What is most important is to find what works for you. If setting goals works for you then use it! If picking a direction works, that’s great.
Thank you so much for your thoughts Tanja. They are always appreciated!
~Scott
You published my comment Scott. I wasn’t sure you would because I disagreed (I’ve seen your disclaimer). Goals work for me but they may not work for everyone. I’m an Aries and we tend to ram our heads into brick walls until we get what we want. I’ve been ramming my head for 3 years now with my goal of self-employment. Technically I’ve been self-employed for a year because I don’t go work for someone else, but I’m self-employed by working full-time and making a part-time salary from my websites! Sooo I’m still ramming my head into the brick wall to bring up the levels of cash to a happier place.
Maybe a direction approached solution vs. goal approach would mean my head wouldn’t hurt so much at the end of the week!
Cheers,
Tanja
p.s. I’m smiling while I write this because even though I’m a tough boss to myself and work long hours I loooove doing it and it’s really not painful. It’s awesome!
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