The importance of a great goal:

If you set the wrong goals, you might end up in the wrong place without realizing it over time. The first goal should be “How to start loving the game,” your game. Without loving what you do, you will find it very difficult to make any progress without hating each step of the way. The chances of burnout increase, the chances of giving up increase.

Story 1

You will constantly have new goals, It will repeat forever. Those new goals will drive you away from the main goal, causing you to lose track. Dopamine should not determine your path as all those mini-rewards might not be worth it in the end.

I had this happen to me so many times. After a couple of years of this same thing happening (new goal here, new goal there), I said enough is enough and asked myself, “Why? Why is that happening?” and proceeded to focus on the main focus after removing the distractions.

No one can set up a long-term goal for you, it just wont work. You are a unique human being and no one is going to be like you. It is your own responsibility to set up proper goals thus putting a lot of time and effort into finding and securing your goals. Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly.

Story 2

Joe woke up on Monday and tried a new language for an hour. Tuesday, he started learning a new instrument. Wednesday, with a new katana, Joe’s kicked off his martial arts training. Thursday, he volunteered dog walking at a shelter. Friday, Joe’s got a katana now, and he’s practicing again.

His room had it all: a guitar on the stand, now two katanas, a shelf of language textbooks.

He had so many different things to do that there was a missed opportunity here, a late email there. But, most importantly, the main goal kept getting ignored, deprioritized, and forgotten. Joe sometimes felt let down, so he distracted himself with even more new activities: a new game here a new board game there.

Joe’s days were full, but not prioritized.

Having fun is okay. But how much fun is enough fun, and for how long can Joe keep doing that without any consequences?

On the other hand,

Kevin has chosen a meaningful goal and devotes his time into achieving it. Every moment is enjoyable, It hardly feels like work, since Kevin has chosen his goals wisely.

When productivity drops, he pauses then picks up where he left off. Kevin is aware that if he stops for too long, breaks might pull him off the task before he regains momentum, days pass and the work is forgotten.

He is in control of his environment to make the next step easier, while enjoying life.

After a major milestone, he gamed and then talked with friends.

Story Summary

You might use the same amount of energy, if not less, chasing a big goal rather than a small goal. We all have 24 hours per day. Break goals down into smaller pieces and then proceed to enjoy the process.

Action Prompts

Grab a pen and paper, take action, and question yourself along the way:

There are no limits to how big of a goal you can set. The harder the more complicated. But people who love the game are going to love complicated tasks. Problems will start to feel rewarding. You might even start seeking problems yourself as they stimulate growth. Get committed to making your game the best game. Make it easy to play.

Set an Unreasonable Goal

• Bad diet? Bad sleep? Many problems? No problem. Solve them all!
• If there were no limits, what a 20x goal would you pick?
• Whats an unreasonable goal you’ve always dreamed about?

Think Long Term, Act Present

The future is important. Long term is important. Patience is important. Don’t live in the future and look around you, the here and now. Bring yourself to the present and progress further in life.

• Does every day feel special?
• Are those days going to be remembered in the future?
• Are you enjoying the process?

Commit Fully

Wake up determined to achieve your goal. Set up goals that truly matter and you’ll be hungry every day until you’ve made the life you want come true.

• What does the life you want looks like in 3 years?
• If you’re not determined, what is the real cost in the longterm?
• Which 20% of actions deliver 80% of results?

Strategy Before Effort

Falling down and staying down until you get up with a proper plan. Without strategy or preparation, hard work goes wasted. Never give up and keep on moving forward. Put your hardest work when you have an leverage.

• Are you listening to your Gut feeling?
• Are the chances in your favor?
• Can you win in the game you choose?