” In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it ” wrote Robert Heinlein, the leading American writer of science fiction. How many of us have got so stuck in the routine that we are not able to do what we want to do?
Strange as it might sound, very often we struggle to achieve what we want to do, not merely because we are too busy but because the very things we want to do- are not featured in our priorities as a goal!!
I, for one, am keen on writing a novel. This has been a dream for many years. I have decided to act and move it from a dream to a goal. In this context, I was delighted to stumble upon 43 Things. This is a venture of the Seattle based Robot Co-op.
I explored the site and found what I liked. The top line informed me that at that moment 2,159,342 people in 15,162 cities were doing 1,678,446 things! Let me become person no: 2,159,343 said I and signed on.
The site seems to have provision for you to articulate your goals and track them as you make progress. You have the opportunity to “cheer” others and in turn get cheered by them if you post an achievement.
I am a strong believer in goal setting. Working without goals often lead you to expend time and energy without getting anywhere. Goals are useful – not just to pursue hobbies- like learning a new language or learning to water ski- but also to bring focus to our careers.
We can determine specific actions we need to take to get us to our career milestones- and work assiduously to achieving them.
My suggestions:
- Make sure the goal you set is really meaningful to you- not as a fad because everyone else is doing it.
- Write the goal in very specific terms and not in a general sense. ” To be a good communicator” you will agree, is a weak goal . ” To make 3 presentations before audiences on a topic of my choice within the next one month” is more specific- and measurable.
- Act on the goal. Writing the goal is perhaps the easiest part. The difficult part involves taking purposeful actions.
- Track progress. Make it a point to know whether you are moving forward or not- towards achieving your goal.
43 Things brings to you yet another dimension of social networking. It gives you access to the thoughts and actions of many others who may have similar goals as you do.
I look forward to learning from others and sharing what I know.
People at Work & Play 
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re: “In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it. – Robert Heinlein (1907 – 1988)
“My brother-in-law just forwarded this quotation to me, and not only do I not recognize it, it has a very un-Heinlein-like feel to it, so I’m curious about how and why it is attributed to him here.
Heinlein polished his aphorisms until they were as tight and condensed as they could be. This does read like another American follower of Emerson.
I first read this in The Quotations page http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2099.html