Focusing on Goals sets up failure

[Stephen]

I'm really convinced about this.

Goal orientated people are more than likely going to fail.

Task orientated people will get much more success.

[shivraj]

Strategy + Tactics = Success

Strategy = Goals

Tactics = Tasks

In the words of Great Strategist Sun Tzu,

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory…

Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

[Rose of Cairo]

Stephen, what do you mean exactly with "goal oriented" and "task oriented" people?

[HighEye]

I half-agree. Focusing on goals and not doing tasks to achieve them can be worrisome. Tasks and goals must go hand in hand for goals to be reached - but if we have no goal then our tasks become aimless.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

Stephen, what do you mean exactly with "goal oriented" and "task oriented" people?

I think there are too many people who are 'into' personal development but as time goes on they don't really achieve anything. They are frequently motivated by a new idea......set up some sort of goal in their mind.....set a time to start towards the goal......start the journey....and forget about it usually within 3 to 5 days

Then you have people who concentrate on doing the small tasks correctly. they have a general, but sometimes vague, idea of where they're going, but know that if they keep doing the right thing: those small things everyday, then big things will happen. they are doers, not dreamers.

I hear people all the time go on about writing down goals making them x.y or z, but to be honest those same things happen. The piece of paper with the goal on it, ends up in a drawer somewhere and the cycle continues.

Being successful depends entirely on doing the small things, even unconsciously, consistently. You don't even need to know where you're going. Good things happen to those who follow this method.

I know people will say that you need to have a goal in mind and break it down into smaller pieces. True but funnily enough, these fragments never seem to be done.

You see, for me, there is a difference between these 'fragments' and 'habits'.
30 day plans are designed to create habits. The generally don't work. My evidence for this is reading these forums. I think the much better idea is to concentrate on accomplishing the small every day items. These empower you to move on to other things without getting bogged down. I would go as far as to say that this is an 'intelligence'.

[Danyelle]

Originally Posted by Stephen

I think there are too many people who are 'into' personal development but as time goes on they don't really achieve anything. They are frequently motivated by a new idea......set up some sort of goal in their mind.....set a time to start towards the goal......start the journey....and forget about it usually within 3 to 5 days

It's true, there are many people like that.
Those are not 'goal oriented' people though.

People with the qualities you mentioned above will behave the same way with 'tasks' or 'goals'

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Danyelle

It's true, there are many people like that.
Those are not 'goal oriented' people though.

People with the qualities you mentioned above will behave the same way with 'tasks' or 'goals'

Not in my experience. I have seen really 'naturally' successful people (those people who just get on with doing things without even thinking about it) be all at sea when they have to focus on a 'goal' and all the 'expectation' that goes with them.

[z1freeride]

In my opinion, pinnacle or lofty goals tend to promote procrastination. I think setting off in a general direction you want to go and then focusing on building skills and setting really small goals is the most effective solution.

This is just from my experience. Focusing on goals that are so far outside of my skillset, at first, seem inspiring and motivational. But when I try to do them, anxiety and frustration usually result. So I'll often tell other people about these goals because I know my friends or family will be supportive thus making me feel good about them. But in the end, that doesn't help...

[Matt Willard]

No one ever said 30 day trials were easy. I mean, we've read that Steve had to come back a few times to his attempts to switching raw, and he did just what you said-building skills, trying things out, achieving managable goals first. Just don't bite it all off in one chew, okay, guys?

[z1freeride]

It sounds to me that the word "goal" has different meanings to different people.

[Jarrod]

Originally Posted by shivraj

Strategy + Tactics = Success

Strategy = Goals

Tactics = Tasks

In the words of Great Strategist Sun Tzu,

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory…

Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

I was going to say something similar. I agree 110%.

[sbdiane]

I am hoping that not having a specific goal but doing the right things to achieve anyway will work out ok for me. I often don't know what the steps to achieve something are anyway. Many people end up somewhere they never thought they would go.

[Eisho]

I am challenge oriented. I set myself challenges and through their accomplishment I grow and develop. I think the problem with goals and the failure rate is that people are unrealistic about them. The world of PD encourages outlandish targets and it is no surprise people fail.

Eisho