This week, I had the pleasure of reading a programmer/CEO’s blog, The Naive Optimist. It inspired me to examine how I spend my days—and subsequently—my life. I got a kick-start in re-evaluating how I spend my time.
I read earlier this year about goal setting (probably ten months ago for new year resolutions) and how keeping goals in view when I set up to-dos so that each to-do aligns to a goal I have. I tried out a few goal-setting web apps and the recurring theme that struck me was the tools abstracted another layer beyond goals. It usually involved evaluating my values and dreams then build goals around one those things.
But the concept was a bit abstract. It wasn’t until I saw how Ryan Carson showed a visual way on how he manages his goals and tasks daily with Trello that I found a way to connect my values with my goals and tasks. Following his example, I created a Trello board that I visit daily to help me remember what are my areas of focus and make sure my tasks are aligned to goals.
I have lots of ideas for projects that I want to do, which can often distract me from the people I love. Reviewing my focus each morning helps me steer myself in the right direction and remind me where I want to truly put my most limited resource each day.
“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” – Bill Copeland, Cricket umpire.