goals

I used to do a lot of chin-ups when I was younger. I had a bar at the doorway to my room and used to do a couple of chin-ups whenever I walked through it (or rather swung through it). At my best I could do couple of dozen chin-ups in one go. I think my record was 27. I was also able to do a few ones with 20 kg extra weight strapped to my waist. I was never really fit in general, it was just the combination of doing that regularly and weighting way too little.

If you don't have goals you can quit either. I know this might be quite controversial. But I'm honestly suggesting yo stop setting those goals. At least if you are like me. For others, clear goals work better.

I don't like setting goals. I rather think them as directions. When I want to become better on something, or change things I just start working towards it. I don't set any definitive criteria for when I have achieved something. This way even a small improvement towards the "goal" is an achievement. There also isn't a point when I could stop improving, I can just keep going and become better and better indefinitely. Downside to this approach might be that some things never gets finished. But then again, that might not be the most important thing anyway.

This is just another regular post. Nothing special about it. Just one more in an endless streak of posts.

Almost three years ago I made a decision. A decision to start writing. I didn't set any goals for myself at that time. And I haven't changed that along the way. I didn't even promise to write daily. It was just simple thing, to write more.

And that's what I have done. I have written more. A lot more. Not just these daily posts, but other things as well. 

There is an internet meme, a game where you need to keep yourself from thinking about the chicken. It simply has a picture and the text " don't think about the chicken", and the notion that you already lost. It's a variation of The Game where the only rule is if you think about the game you lose. There are no winners in those games.

A few years ago I had a development discussion with my then boss. He was asking about my goals and instead of what I assume he was looking for me coming up with more professional goals I came up with two related tracks of self-impression.

I listed two paths: one for writing and another for public speaking where I would go from just writing for myself or a small internal audience as well as just speaking in our companies internal events all the way up to being invited to talk at a global big event and publishing a book.