[Personal growth] The problem with goals is...

Well, there are actually at least four problems with goal setting:

Winners and losers have the same goals

some make it, some fail miserably. Why?

Achieving a goal is a momentary change

once you achieve your goal, you stop from continuing your transformation

Goals restrict your happiness

when you don't reach your goal, you fail to see the progress and only see the failure

Goals are at odds with long term progress

you can choose to win one game, or continue through the championship. Goals will only achieve the game.

What James Clear nicely says: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." really hit home for me.

And as John C. Maxwell highlights: "By actively pursuing development, we can achieve our goals more effectively." it's pretty much saying the same thing: focus on your development, in whatever way you want to pursue it, and the results will follow.

So, as we move from goal setting to creating our systems, there is one more important thing to keep in mind: you need to be clear about who you want to become, and why.

When your identity is clear, the processes will support and the outcomes will follow.

Trying to change the wrong layer is going to lead to failure.

Outcomes are about what you get.

Processes are about what you do.

Identity is about what you become.

If the direction of change is not the right one, the change does not happen.

So it's time to reflect and see how you want to implement your change:

Or... you go the simple but not easy route:

Comments

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