Scott Adams on goals : thescruffypirate.org

Scott Adams on goals

Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) doesn't set goals, he has systems. This is similar to what I am trying to do with my New Year's resolutions this year or what Erik was talking about in his comment on my post.

Here's how Scott starts out:

The other day I put on my workout clothes and drove to the gym. But when I arrived I didn't feel like working out. This was not a huge surprise, since I didn't feel peppy before I even laced up my running shoes. Perhaps I hadn't gotten enough sleep that week. I wasn't sure what the problem was. I ate lunch in the snack bar then drove home and took a nap.

Question: Did I fail at my exercise goal?

And to recap, here's what Erik said:

I don't do New Year's Resolutions. Maybe I'm just using a different operational definition of "resolution" than everyone else, but when I think of resolutions I think of things like lose weight, quit smoking, and get out of debt. In my opinion all of these "resolutions" lack any gravity because they are not measurable, have no time frame, and are generally vague. I see them as wishes waiting to be given up on, nothing more.

I am a goal setter. To me goals have more power than resolutions if they are set in ways that are specific, measurable, and that have a deadline.

I think that both Scott and Erik are against goals and resolutions (respectively) in an entirely semantic way. They both have goals or resolutions (or whatever you want to call them) in the way that most people intend them to mean. They have just figured out better ways of making sure those goals or resolutions come true and have decided to call those ways something else.

At the heart of the matter is the fact that it is easy to want to change but harder to actually do it.

And to me the advice is, A) don't be vague, B) choose things that are easy to do, and C) choose things that help develop good habits as opposed to grand changes or gestures.

thescruffypiratedotorg

Scott Adams on goals

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