08/27/2016–Applying the definition “goals hit divided by goals set” of success provides multiple benefits.
One is an ease of updating or changing what your goals are. With a clear set of goals, you can begin pursuing them as soon as you break them into pieces, and progressing piece by piece provides tons of moments to reflect. When a goal is broken into bites/steps/tasks, many of these will be repeated. Thus, any step which is either pleasant or unpleasant will be more so overtime. Repetition amplifies the perceived pain/pleasure of each task. The result is a recurring calibration–a routine questioning of whether or not this task I’m about to do for the 10th time is really necessary or not to move me toward my goal. Remember: at the beginning of my path I only could predict/guess what would be required to achieve a goal. For example, I set a goal to email the newsletter monthly. However, I may soon change to either stopping it altogether or changing the format to something totally different. I may do a monthly podcast version of the healhtymob post or of what would be the newsletter.
Understanding (reminding myself) of my overall purpose (dying content) puts each use of time in its proper perspective. But this can only help me if I’ve broken my goals into pieces which represent “uses of time”, like sending a monthly newsletter. If a task is pleasant, repeating it is easier, of course. So, it may be a concern to not have a system of catching non-vital tasks, but I think it’s good enough to simply check your overall progress by checking your success every once in awhile. This is easy if you follow this equation:
# of goals hit ÷ # goals set
QOTW–“Great 1st impression by being you”. -Lucy
?FNW–Who/how many join my group? 1
12/5/2017 review–I still like this definition of success best, but I am not currently following it. I have goals but they’re not broken into tasks. I’m not disciplined enough to do it all the time, but if a person is willing to stick to it over the long-term, I can’t think of a better way to prevent remorse at aged 50, or at any age. Spending time purposefully is the only way to live. The most obvious caveat is that this still requires giving proper time for rest, restarts, and “non-productive” tasks. All tasks that enable your purpose are worthwhile investments of time, and identifying them is a huge help to anyone interested in achieving “success” by his or her own definition.