Setting goals can be harder than it sounds. Here’s a simple way to do it. Write down the answer to these 3 questions:
What am I trying to to Achieve, Avoid and Preserve.
They are much easier to answer because they provide a value set and a guiding philosophy. The answers will come as soon as your start writing…. try it.
Here are my three answers for my work:
- I am trying to achieve a reputation for thinking, writing and speaking on technology & business.
- I am trying to avoid working with jerks.
- I am trying to preserve my independence with my work at all costs.
These answers inform what I should do with my time and opportunities. To do number 1 I need to write and think everyday. I need to undertake projects and startups to gain the knowledge to write and speak about. To do number 2 I need to be focused more on people than the size of opportunity. I need to sample people I work with before I engage in a long term projects with them. To do number 3 I need to create value for others so I can work as a freelancer, which then funds my projects. I need to think twice about accepting offers for venture capital (say with Sneaky Surf) or highly paid projects which take up too much time.
Oh, and when it comes to questions about goals and what it is that we want to do with our life, it’s important to remember that we can change our mind without notice. Just because your wrote a script, it doesn’t mean it can’t be revised. After all, it’s your script.