A Simple Trick for Setting Better Goals
The key to setting better goals is to make them about action, not outcome.
The term "goal" is confusing because it doesn’t distinguish between the end product and the steps necessary to get there.
Goals can be:
Something you aspire to that is meaningful and important to you ---> outcome
Something you want to do or accomplish ---> action that will lead to the desired outcome
Sometimes we use it to signify the result: "My goal is to lose 20 pounds."
But sometimes we use it to signify the steps required to achieve that result: "My goal is to work out 5 days a week."
Instead of trying to use the term goal to refer to both the end product and your daily to-dos, you can split those two apart:
Your aspiration is to write a book. This is the end product and final vision
Your goals become what you want to accomplish in each writing session. For example, a typical revised goal for your book project would be something like: "write the intro section to chapter 6" or "proofread chapter 2"
By using this new term aspiration to signify the end product, you are freed up to use goals to signify the much more specific and achievable actions that you needed to accomplish on a regular basis.
This lead to more specificity and clarity with what you need to do each day. As a result, you‘ll feel less stuck and frustrated, and therefore less likely to procrastinate and make more progress.