This Week’s BIG Idea
If someone you know approached you and asked you to show them your goals, could you do it? Have you taken the time to think about where you’re going and what you want to achieve? Have you thought about goals that embody your values? A lot has been said about goals in the field of productivity. In fact, I’ve written about it before. Some people swear by goal setting, but others believe that it’s unnecessary. I’d argue that having goals in mind is important because it gives you a sense of direction. With that in mind, here are some ideas why setting goals is so important.
In Atomic Habits, author James Clear argues that setting goals isn’t as important as systems. That said, you still need goals though because that’s how you come up with a system in the first place. Without goals, there’s no system, and without a system, you can’t live intentionally. Ultimately, the importance of setting goals isn’t to achieve exactly what you want, the importance of goals is to have a sense of direction. Like fear, goals work as a compass.
To live an intentional life, you need goals. Goals are a compass that tells us where we’re going. The problem is that most people can’t articulate their goals because they haven’t spent time thinking about them. Goal setting is a powerful exercise because it reflects your values. Something as simple as taking a couple of minutes to write down your goals and develop a system to achieve those goals has the potential to change your life.
What I’m Working on
Since I’ve been thinking a lot about habits for the last couple of months (that’s usually the case when a new year starts), I want to read some of my favorite books on the topic. I think Atomic Habits is a book I should read once every two years or so. I know there are numerous resources about habits, but it’s not the same as reading a book about habits as watching a YouTube video about habits. So I’ll rearrange some of the books on my “to be read” list and prioritize Atomic Habits and the like.
What I’m Listening to
The podcast space is incredibly crowded and every area is covered in some form or another. There are podcasts for shows you liked when you were younger, podcasts about financial independence, crime, entrepreneurship, politics, and the list goes on and on. Even Conan O’Brien launched his podcast a couple of years ago. Since there’s such a huge offering, I’ve been trying to go in the opposite direction when it comes to podcasts. This week, I haven’t been listening to much. I’m going over some of my favorite Ali Abdaal videos (in podcast form), but for the most part, I’ve been trying to clean up my “Up Next” list on PocketCasts.
What I’m Reading
Outlive by Peter Attia: unlike most books about health and nutrition, the book doesn’t give you a list of things to do and to avoid. Instead, Outlive guides you to a healthier, longer, and happier life. The core message of the book is that instead of taking care of disease when it happens, we should take action to prevent it. I’ve read several books about health, but this is one of the best ones so far.
What I’m Watching
Mai Yoneyama – The Art Behind Animation and Illustration: one of the best YouTube channels that nobody ever talks about is Archipel (NoClip is also an outstanding channel if you haven’t checked it out yet). Archipel makes some of the best documentaries about Japanese artists and creators. Their latest video has been on my Watch List later for a couple of days, but that’s because I want to watch it when I have some time to enjoy it. Few videos came out on the channel, but that’s because their production values are through the roof.
This Week’s Quote
“The past is not as good as you remember, the present is not as bad as you think and the future will be better than you anticipate.”
Morgan Housel
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