Goals as Direction, Not Definition

I came to the realization as I entered the new year that many of the goals I set out to achieve throughout 2023 weren't met.

From increasing my social media following and newsletter subscriptions to launching digital products, and from updating my website to expanding my network.

These were just glimpses of what I aimed for.

Reflection on Failure to Meet Goals

There were a couple of reasons for this. Health issues played a big role. And I also have to acknowledge my fair share of procrastination and laziness.

But I wasn't broken by it. I'd feel disheartened in the past for missing my goals. Today, I view them differently.

We're humans, not robots at the end of the day.

We've our ups and downs, and the idea that we've to reach peak productivity every day is unhealthy.

Goals are important. We set goals to give us something to focus on—a direction.

But the question is, what happens if we miss our goals?

Take the example of a weight loss goal. If you set out to lose a certain amount of weight, and you miss it—what do you do with that result? What's the next step?

Changing Perspective on Goal-Setting

My perspective on goal-setting has been completely changed by two key concepts: an infinite mindset and the importance of systems.

The infinite mindset is a concept I came across from Simon Sinek's book The Infinite Game.

An infinite mindset embraces the idea that life isn't always about winning or losing. It's about embracing life as an ongoing journey of continuous growth and learning.

Adopting this mindset makes you comfortable with the idea that some days you're ahead, other times you're behind.

The Importance of Systems

Setting goals is one part of the process. But goals aren't really useful if there isn't a system in place.

It's like a ship without its captain—you can't go where you want to go.

Moving forward, my current focus for this year is not obsessing much with the goals themselves. But more on building systems.

Especially in creating a system that makes my content creation less of a burden.

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Reflection Prompt

Think about a goal you didn't achieve last year. How has this impacted your perspective on success and failure? What did this experience teach you about growth and progress?