Set Goals Based on Your Values, Not Others
It’s hard enough to stick to the goals you want to achieve, but sometimes we set goals that aren’t even thrilled with them. We make decisions based on what we should do or what others think we should do, not what really matters to us. This makes it nearly impossible to stick to a goal.
Harvard Business Review CEO Elizabeth Grace Saunders explains how this works in practice:
Many people fail at their professional development goals for the year because they set many goals for themselves – goals that they think they “should” accomplish, but ultimately don’t inspire them. For example, they might tell themselves they need to read a stack of books to learn more, keep up with their peers, or just stay on top of their industry. But if sitting and reading is more like a chore, they are unlikely to make any progress – and they may feel bad about not achieving their goal when the year comes to a close. While the goal itself seemed to fit the needs of their professional role, it did not match individual preference or ambition.
In other words, reading more is a good habit, but if you only do it because you feel like this is what you should be doing, and not because you actually want to learn more, you will most likely have a Difficulty reaching your goal. … The same thing happens with personal finances. Saving more for retirement and sticking to a budget are good money habits and wonderful goals. But if you don’t know why you’re trying to do it , other than feeling like it’s an adult act, you’ll have to stick with them for a hell of a long time.
Instead, set goals based on your own values. This does not mean that you should read less or forget about budgeting altogether. The idea is to first think about what is important to you and then figure out what you need to do to get there. ( This post in The Hierarchy of Goals helped me understand my own values.) In general, Saunders generally has a good opinion that goals are based on your own values, not what you “should” do. Navigate to her full article at the link below for more information on the topic.
Stop Setting Goals You Don’t Actually Care About | HBR
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