#187

The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity for a fresh start.

Fresh starts – a new calendar year: a significant birthday; post a life event – are known as temporal landmarks because they provide an opportunity to ‘start again’ or ‘begin anew’ and in doing so we perceive less weight of the past allowing motivation for the future.

Double-clicking on the idea of goal-setting is the question, ‘what’s the goal of your goal?'.

Our goals rarely exist in isolation.

Getting fitter has adjacent benefits.

Becoming promotable provides other opportunities.

Learning a new skill can create knock-on effects.

So, is there a covert benefit in making progress towards your goal?

Is there a broader outcome to be achieved in pursuit of your goal?

Would the singular pursuit of your goal actually blind you to other benefits on the way?

With a blinkered approach to the destination might you miss some joy along the way.

So, a couple of additional approaches.

1. Chunk up from the goal

What’s important about this goal for me?

What impact will it have directly and indirectly?

What broader effects will achieving the goal have?

2. Chunk across from the actions leading to the goal

What other ways could I achieve the broader goal?

How might I also enjoy the journey in progressing towards my goal?

What could I keep an eye out for along the sidelines as I pursue my goal?

For an extended read consider - Behavioral Science: What’s the Goal of the Goal?

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Cheers

Pete