My December Resolution: Stop Setting Goals
The fool proof method to beating New Years Resolution Hype
I have an addiction to goal setting.
Since I was a kid I remembered learning about the magic power of “goals”.
Goals Goals Goals…
All the books made it seem that as long as you had a goal you were golden.
So down the rabbit hole I went.
SMART, WOOP, Reach etc.
Now don’t get me wrong…
Goals definitely work for some people.
But they don’t work for me.
I’m the crazy guy who’ll make a vision board, notion planner, GANTT chart, and task database in notion before I even execute one task.
The only ✅ that would be visible, would be the planning stage.
Goal setting was an escape for me to avoid doing the work, while still getting the high of productivity.
So…
Every New Years that came around I always had the same goal:
“Get 6 pack abs”
“Finally dial in my health”
“Become Hercules”
Totally unrealistic.
Goal planning can be a form of procrastination.
Often times… the most simple systems, and actions are the only things you need to achieve a goal.
I call this the “caveman principle”.
As egocentric humans we love to flex our intelligence to get things done.
But instead of over-engineering your next endeavor…
try thinking like a caveman.
There is no ego in the caveman. He merely does.
He doesn’t think… “Oh Caveman Tim is already done!”
Nor does he worry about “Posting it on the cave-gram”.
The caveman does the action until it is done.
Questions to ask yours caveman self.
What’s the one action that will guarantee your success?
What’s the most simple and direct way to get it done?
What if I could achieve this in half the time?
The action is usually something mundane, repetitive, and the one task you most want to avoid.
What’s something you want to get done before 2021 ends?
This 2021 December I’m resolving to not set anymore goals.
Instead, I’ll embrace my inner cave-man and see where it takes me.
Till next week,
Brian “Caveman” To
My favorite links this week:
[Must Click] The only annual review you’ll ever need to do: This changed my life!👈
“Don’t sell the steak, sell the Sizzle!” A killer NewYorker Article from 1938 👈
Loving the art! Definitely elevates the page. Unrelated to that, but related to your post, I wouldn't underestimate the skills you've gained from all this practice of goal-setting. Maybe you've only crossed 10 different methods of goal-setting off your own list of practical solutions, but like Edison with the lightbulb, all you need is the one option that works. Every failed attempt gets you closer to the right system/philosophy. Plus, as an aspiring life coach, I reckon this experience will be really relevant. Even if it didn't work for you one of these systems may be the perfect solution for a client!
I've got similar experience with investing more time in planning than doing, but I can also say I see a clear progression and improvement over the years of doing it. I still haven't totally nailed down the best system(s), but I'm considerably more productive today than I ever have been and that's built on a lot of failure and experimentation.