Diversify your goals
Lately I’ve read a lot of great posts about goal setting and personal growth. People have been sharing their personal tips for setting realistic goals, tracking progress, and following through. I’ve also been reading David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. So I’ve been mulling over the notion of goals for several days now.
One aspect of goal setting that is addressed in GTD, but seems to be absent from a lot of the blogs is diversification. It’s natural to develop laser focus on career goals and financial goals, but there’s much more to life than work and money. I encourage you to consider some other categories:
- Fitness goals - Staying in shape makes everything easier and you’ll probably live longer too.
- Intellectual goals - Read some good books, do Sudoku, watch foreign films… The possibilities are endless.
- Social goals - Get connected, talk to people, write letters, pick up the phone… No man is an island.
- Travel goals - This may seem whimsical, but I like making lists of places I want to go in my lifetime.
Hopefully these new categories will get the wheels spinning in your head. Balance in life is very important. So go for the promotion and the big bank account, but don’t neglect the triathlon, foreign language learning, rekindling old friendships, and visiting Timbuktu. In forty years, you’ll thank me.
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6 Responses to “Diversify your goals”
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Good point. If we become too focused on one goal or even several interrelated goals, we stagnate in the end and burn out slowly.
Well put Patrick,
There’s much more to life than just money … we get one shot. It’s best to try everything and make the most of it.
I’m glad you both agree. Life is too short to be one-dimensional.
Social goals is a great point.
We are happiest surrounded by friends and family.
Terry
i think you can’t really diversify your goal, can you? focus on the balance outcome is the most important element for goal setting and extremely focus in not. Nah … I’m just playing with you to make you more confuse:)
Heh heh. You do have a good point though. It is possible to “overdiversify” and have so many goals that you never focus on any of them long enough to make progress.