Achieve More With Less (by Setting Goals You Can Achieve)
So you've set goals for yourself and worked hard towards them, but find yourself frustrated and disappointed when you don't achieve them. I can't count how many times I've felt this way.
When it comes to goal setting, I've come to realize that there are too many variables out of our control.
Of course, we can apply this to most things in life.
Our diets and workouts don't give us the results we want. Or at least not as soon as we'd like them to. Saving money never seems to go as planned.
And you'll drive yourself crazy setting "result-based" goals building an online business.
We can't control how much traffic our websites get or how much money they make. We can't control our search engine rankings or what our competitors will do.
But what we can control are the things we must do each day and each week to get us closer to the results we want. Our action-based goals.
In most cases, we'll still fall short of our result-based goals (at least in my experience), but every once in a while, the universe surprises us.
The way I do this is just to start with my result-based goals and work backward to determine which actions I must take to achieve them.
Then, I put those actions into a plan or schedule that I must stick to.
Now that I think about it (literally as I'm writing this), I wonder if this might be a hangover from my electrician days. It's the same process we use in construction. We have a result we must get to, and the planning stage is all about what must happen to get there.
And just like in real life, we usually fall short of our goals. Most projects come in over budget, and they take longer than we had planned them to. Someone gets injured, our suppliers don't have the materials we need, the weather doesn't cooperate...
There are just too many variables to accurately predict an outcome.
So I find it far less frustrating and more productive to just focus on my daily action goals than to worry about the results. That way, if I don't get the result I want (and I usually don't), it's not because I didn't do what I needed to do.
Well, sometimes it is, but in that case, I know where to put the blame, and I can then just work on improving myself or figuring out where I need to make a change.
Anyway, with all of the A.I. talk recently, I thought I'd have a little fun and give Chat GPT a shot at tackling this topic...
ChatGPT's (Unedited) Take on Action Goals...I understand that you're looking to set some goals for yourself, but you're not quite sure where to start. That's totally normal, and I'm here to help.
First, let me explain the difference between result-based goals and action-based goals. Result-based goals are focused on achieving a specific outcome, such as making a certain amount of money or achieving a particular grade in school. Action-based goals, on the other hand, are focused on the steps you take to reach that outcome.
For example, if your result-based goal is to get a good grade in math, your action-based goal might be to study for 30 minutes every day or complete a certain number of practice problems each week. The benefit of setting action-based goals is that they allow you to focus on the things you can control – the actions you take – rather than things you can't control, such as the outcome.
It's important to remember that you have the power to create your own path and make your own choices. By setting action-based goals, you can take control of your life and work towards the future you want for yourself.
It's also important to remember that action-based goals don't have to be huge or overwhelming. Start small and focus on the things you can control. For example, if you want to improve your physical fitness, set an action-based goal to walk for 10 minutes every day or to do a few push-ups each morning. These small actions can add up over time and lead to bigger changes in your life.
In summary, action-based goals allow you to focus on the things you can control and create positive change in your life. By setting small, achievable goals and focusing on the actions you need to take to achieve them, you can build a brighter future for yourself. Remember, you have the power to make positive changes in your life, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Recent Comments
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Hi, Jay
Great VLog!
Wow, my typical day sounds very much like yours. I set up basic action goals, but I don't gravitate particularly well to structure. My time was micro-managed for forty years, but now that I am semi-retired, I'm enjoying the freedom as much as possible.
Somehow, I still manage to get all the most important stuff done in a frustration-free manner. 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Hey Frank, great to hear from you. I still like having the structure. I find that if I don't structure my day like a regular workday, my productivity suffers. I've even had months where I just coasted, checking in on my business every once in a while.
I had other projects I was working on, courses I was taking, etc., so it wasn't like I was just watching TV or sitting around the yard, but I also wasn't getting what I needed to get done, and my traffic and income eventually suffered for it months later.
So I set timers for everything. The start of my "work" day, breaks, lunch, and everything as if I was going to an office every day, lol.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. It's always appreciated 👍
I agree, Jay.
Sticking to schedules is definitely the most productive approach that also tends to give the best long-term results. 😎
Hi Lamatha, I've used Upwork in the past with mixed results. The content was good, but the delivery times were long. I'd wait weeks sometimes for single article and have to follow up several times to get it completed.
Over the last year or two, I have been using WriterAccess, and it's quite good. It takes time to test different writers and find a small roster that you work well with.
In the past, I've also had a full-time writer. I found her using Jerry's training here... Hiring Writer Like a PRO Even If You've Never Hired Before She and I worked together for a good year or more, and that's probably the best situation if you find the right writer.
Having said that, I stopped hiring writers last year when AI started getting good enough to pass as human written, because you could no longer tell it that was what writers were giving you.
At the time, Google wasn't "AI friendly" so I didn't want to publish articles that may have been AI articles.
Now Google has said AI content is okay as long as it's helpful content, and the truth is, ChatGPT can produce content as good as any writer I've ever hired.
So the main options now are to write it manually yourself, write it using AI, or hire a writer (who charges twice as much per article than an AI writer costs per month) who is using AI anyway.
You can still find good writers who you can trust, but it's a little more challenging now that AI writing hasn't gotten so good.
Yep, that’s the one I use as well. And it’s cheap which is a bonus, but I think we’re still early with these tools. AI will get better, and we’ll get better at using it to “fool” the AI checkers.
The AI checkers will improve but at what point do they start labeling human content as AI? I think probably within the year, AI content for the most part will be indistinguishable from human content. I do hope I’m wrong though.
Hi, Jay
I’d be surprised if AI writers aren’t indistinguishable from human-generated content within a year.
Google has said they’re not adverse to AI-generated content as long as it meets their criteria of being unique, helpful, etc.
This tech will significantly change the way people search for and receive information on the Internet.
Frank 🎸
So true...this reminds me of the old saying of eating an elephant a bite at a time. We have very little control in the big picture. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, that's exactly it Susan. Thanks for mentioning it. I used to tell my kids that but haven't in a long time. I wonder if they remember, lol.
Thanks also for taking the time to share your thoughts, it's much appreciated.
That's great, Jay! The expression flows through the generations, I think lol. This was such a relatable topic for so many of us. Take good care. :-)
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Appreciate the Vlog Jay!
Looking at the bigger picture can sometimes be discouraging if we are not seeing many positive results from the work we have put in....
I'm all for micro-managing things, just knock off each small task we have set ourselves to do and they soon add up my friend!
Hey Nick, thanks for watching and sharing. Sorry for the late reply. I haven't been on this page in a while (surgery and recovery) and didn't see your comment.
I couldn't agree more, though. Knocking off those small "bite-sized" tasks definitely adds up :-)
No worries buddy!
I hope that the recovery is going well my friend....
That is all that matters....
Take care ok! :-)