Traditional Goal Setting

Man ventures and conquers. He needs to set certain goals so as to feed the hunger for satisfaction within him. Goals are what you need, the aspirations in your life. Things like a desire to earn $1M in next year, or to travel across the continent. Goals helps us plan our life and organise the future. Man’s appetite has been forever growing, and seems to be unstoppable in the times of insane productivity boom since the last century.

But just setting these goals is not sufficient in order to achieve it. We need to put into place a system which will inherently enable to us to achieve these goals we have set for ourself.

Systems

Our Mind is not capable of tracking multiple things going on in our life. We need to track them on paper or digitally. And we also need to evaluate the progress at specified intervals to take any corrective actions wherever needed. Some systems are basic system like a “to do” list. Some are more complex like using a Bullet Journal. It varies from person to person. Each one of us will be comfortable with their own personalised version of the system. The important part is we need to remove resistance between the system and us. The system has to become a part of our daily life. If it is a to-do list, we have to make utmost effort to look at the list and take actionable items from there. If we are not able to look at that list everyday for whatsoever reason, we need to remove the obstacles which are making it difficult to review the list.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Task vs Goals

Filling your income tax return is a task, not a goal. You need to go it, it is mandatory, but it is not something of an achievement. Goals are something you have not done before, something which is outside your comfort zone or to improve some process you usually follow.

Goals

Goals should be SMART goals. They should have a systematic format to it.

• S = Specific

• M= Measurable

• A = Achievable

• R = Relevant

• T = Time bound

In the above format, you can access your progress on a weekly basis with proper measure and against the time remaining to achieve it. This way you can easily keep a track on the progress.

Systems

Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. - James Clear, Atomic Habits

A system is a set of habit you need to develop to ensure there is nothing in between you and your goals. Looking at your goals daily and making incremental progress, until the day the goal is achieved and you get the satisfaction of crossing it off in your list is a system.

The system needs to be comfortable so you won’t abandon it. It should have low resistance from your daily activities. It can be a whiteboard in your bedroom, so you can see it daily or a “to do” list /app on your desk or a bullet journal where you track it daily. Choose as per your comfort zone. As far as my personal preference goes, I started with to do lists and then moved to Bullet Journaling method, with which I am very comfortable now.

Be adaptive

New Year is not the only time to set goals. We need to keep on adapting to factors which are out of our control and make necessary adjustments to our goals. It is our responsibility to make sure they remain relevant in current times, with a long term view. It is better to review all goals quarterly, and report the progress and plan for next quarter. On a weekly basis, it would be better to create or modify current plan to make those goals become reality.

If you haven’t set your goals yet, right now is the best time to start setting up your goals. Don’t wait for the next new year.

Objectivism is supremacy of the reason. Every decision in every walk of life needs to be made by your mind. It is practical to be selfish, for your own needs first. Work hard to achieve the production, to earn the right to consume based on your value of production. Focus on happiness, to live a fulfilled life on earth. Money is not evil, it is just a medium of exchange, my value to yours.

The men of the mind are the people who run the world. They are the motor that keeps the world running. These are other people who produce a lot of value in the world. In the book, the world has chosen alternate way of life, where it is everyone’s responsibility to every other individual. Need dictates the way of life, rather than value. In such an environment, one man decided to stop, to stop producing for the sake of others. He decides to stop the motor of the world.

There are 4 essential elements of Objectivism:

1. Reality:

Reality exists and there in only one form of reality, the one which we live in. There is no concept of supernatural in this reality.

Reality exists, regardless of whether we want it to or not.

1. Reason:

Reason is the decision making tool for the mind.

Reason is man’s basic means of survival.

1. Self Interest:

Self Interest is moral.

The individual right to life, liberty, and property allows everyone freedom to live as a trader.

1. Capitalism:

A free market for exchange of value. The productive genius of free men will bring innovation.

Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned.

Objectivism is different from the mixed economy we live in today. It’s more of an extreme side involving capitalism. Every man works to create value, and exchange value for value at a fair rate. No one lives on alms received from others. Objectivism is a way of thinking. Capitalism is the economic system here. Ayn Rand proposes a Laissez-faire capitalism. Laissez-faire is an economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention. This provides maximum incentive and least government interference.

The book is a worthy read to understand the idea of Objectivism. This book depicts an alternate reality where world has moved to a “need” based structure. This social structure seems disrupting the way of life. Then one man refuses to accept the principles forced down on him and starts his journey to stop the motor of the world.

After reading this book, I have moved to “Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith, which is a fundamental work in classical economics. It’s the analysis on wealth generation. The book was published in 1776, yet the concepts are still relevant. The book provides details on how Capitalism generates Wealth.

I started actively monitoring the global news from 2014, so most of the knowledge here was new to me, except obviously the Financial Crisis and Middle East wars. Obama’s involvement in support of Egypts Pro Democracy protests and his negotiations during the Climate change summits were few of the exciting stories in the book. The book also gives some glimpse of US politics and Global Politics to some extent. Obama shows us how it is difficult to get things done is democracy.

The book gave the glimpse into the life of the US president or as US media proclaims “Leader of the Free World” lives and operates. It’s also a pretty long book and this is just the volume 1 of the 2 part series.

The Book gives complete glimpse into Obama’s life till somewhere near his end of 1st presidential term. The second volume will take it from there. He also explains his philosophical ideas in life, where he decided not to become a corporate lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law, but instead worked on building a community and do work that benefits the society.

He also talked about his visit to India and his opinions of the Indian politicians, especially Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He talked openly on what he saw in the political scene in India. Some of that content was not to the likes of Indian politicians especially those of Congress political party.

He also talks about the American culture, the good and the bad things. Discussions on race and equality, and his honest views and opinions on the same.

The book does contain lot of historical facts available in public along with the perspective of Obama as he created history. I enjoyed reading his book and I will be eagerly waiting for the second part of the series.

I decided to read Michelle Obama’s memoir ‘Becoming’ before starting Barack Obama’s book ‘A Promised Land’. This book describes the personal life journey of Michelle Obama, on how her out-of-the-way decisions in life led to rewarding experiences and thus becoming her identity. Michelle’s work before becoming FLOTUS revolves around community building and development in and around Chicago. She later continued the work with National level programs to improve education, health, and nutrition. The book is inspiring, for all readers.

We all know Barack Obama and his accomplishments but rarely do people recognize Michelle Obama’s work and sacrifices. She grew up in a modest family in Chicago, earning her way into the halls of Princeton and Harvard. Then taking a high-profile job as a lawyer in Chicago only to leave it later to work actively in community building work.

Some might recognize them as a power couple, and imagine them to have all the answers to a successful marriage. This is far away from reality. The power couple is not two great people coming together, but rather two minds coming together to create great synergy and cooperation, resulting in fulfilling and meaningful lives. Michelle was brave enough to admit that they needed counseling during their marriage, which in some communities is still considered taboo, and how it helped them become more responsible adults and parents to their young kids. She describes how Michelle and Barack sacrificed, inspired, and supported each other to achieve great things.

The book also provides details on the presidential journey, moving to Washington with 2 young kids in a fortified castle called the White House, and how it has an impact on their lives. It opens up the view of a mother who is trying to adjust in the big house, and struggling to provide their kids with a normal life rather than spoiling them with all luxuries afforded to them.

About the Book:

The book is a memoir of Tara Westover’s childhood and her educational leap. Tara was born and raised in Idaho in a family that does not believe in formal education. This shaped a lot of her early childhood. She then went against her own family and enrolled for college at the age of 17, her first formal education. And then this educational journey continued through the halls of Cambridge and Harvard. She went a long way ahead. This book is about her sacrifices, the hard choices she made, and she achieved an understanding of herself.

This book is not just about her story. It opens up a perspective on how hard work and sacrifices, can open up doors for you. That you should aim for the stars, and with enough dedication you can reach there as well. These are those extra-ordinary journeys of self-realization and understanding the purpose of existence in this world.

What I learned from the book:

Tough Decisions and Sacrifice:

Life is not always fair. You cannot change where you are born. However, to change where you are today, there are always tough decisions to be made. You have to leave things behind to go ahead. You will have to sacrifice somethings today, to go ahead in life.

Hard Work:

There is no substitute for hard work. No matter what your current situation is, tomorrow can always be better. And the only thing stopping you is your dedication and commitment to hard work.

Limitless possibilities:

You need to open up your mind to all the great things in this world. You never know what you might achieve. Success might just be right around the corner, but you still have to keep walking ahead towards that corner.

Embrace your past:

Everyone has a unique past. Past might be ugly and dull, but that is what shaped you to what you are today.