Goals vs Habits
I\’m glad that I posted my goals the other day. Why? Because it was a concrete action - and doing so has a distinct impact that solely self-confessed goal setting cannot match. In this case, it is not because, say, publication compels me to achieve my goals; … no. Rather, doing so has elevated my awareness of my self-directed commitments, and thus prodded me to think about what I said, every day.
I used to make lists of goals on a regular basis, but it has been a while since the last time I\’ve made one. Also, I have a long history studying Covey\’s 7 Habits. Goal setting is part of the 7 Habits; but making goals without some larger framework - that has been on my mind a little bit. In other words, I started asking myself \’do I have to keep setting the same goal over and over?\’
If my whole basis of growth were simply goal-setting, the answer would be \’Yes\’. But thanks to my Covey-oriented framework, I will be working within the concept of Habits, fundamentally different from goal-setting alone. The key is to develop habitual behaviors (being proactive, putting first things first, thinking win-win, etc - each are behaviors that are rooted in essential values, not ephemeral lists).
So while I am momentarily focused on my list of goals, I am doing so within a larger context of developing the habits essential to the advancement of my values and long-term goals. No more wheel-spinning.