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I've realized that the problem with my old New Year's Resolutions is not that I give up halfway. It is that I overly fixate on 1 year outcomes, without holding myself accountable to a system that gets me there. While the reasons to favor Systems over Goals are well explored, I am still unwilling to abandon goals altogether. Goals are wonderfully motivating, especially if they are Big, Hairy, and Audacious.
I think the solution is to make a system of goals for yourself.
I've dubbed my system Fibonacci Goals. They work like this:
On Day 1, I make a 1 day goal.
If I achieve that goal, I can make a 2 day goal.
If I achieve that goal, I am allowed to make a 3 day goal.
And so on, with goal commitment ramping up by the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, ....
Note: Technically, the Fibonacci sequence starts at 0, but I've opted to start at the second 1. Move your start point left or right as you wish.
If I fail a goal, I slide back toward the previous step. If I miss my 21 day goal, I must complete another 13 day goal before re-attempting the 21 day goal. This gives me a win before I attempt another milestone.
You can start a Fibonacci goal game at any time of the year, and take breaks between goals. If you start on Jan 1, an unbroken chain of successful goal completion from 1-day up to the 89-day goal takes 232 days (August 20). Taking into account breaks and backslides, there's enough for a full year of wins.
I suspect I will achieve more with this system than if I go for a 365-day goal on my first attempt.
In Hegelian terms, if Goals are the thesis, and Systems are the antithesis, then Fibonacci Goals are the synthesis. A system made up of progressively increasing mini-goals.
My first goal in 2021 is to write this post. I will set my next tomorrow. I hope this gives you some ideas for your personal goals and systems too. No matter what you use, I would love to hear about them and to support you in your progress!
ICYMI: Randall and I chatted about Systems vs Goals for the New Year's Eve episode of our podcast!
You may also like: Dump your Inner Drill Sergeant on the Happiness Lab podcast. Being too harsh on yourself doesn't work!
Problems Solved
Comparing Resolutions to Fibonacci Goals:
We set 1 year goals without any evidence that we are able to achieve even half of that
We don't know how to estimate what we can achieve in a year
We get discouraged when we slip up mid year and then our whole year's motivation is shot with no way to "get back on the horse"
We don't build momentum with progressive wins, it is all or nothing
There is no system allowing for natural breaks
We don't feel able to start a Resolution on a random date, say, October 3rd, and instead put off our hopes for Jan 1st.
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I've realized that the problem with my old New Year's Resolutions is not that I give up halfway. It is that I overly fixate on 1 year outcomes, without holding myself accountable to a system that gets me there. While the reasons to favor Systems over Goals are well explored, I am still unwilling to abandon goals altogether. Goals are wonderfully motivating, especially if they are Big, Hairy, and Audacious.
I think the solution is to make a system of goals for yourself.
I've dubbed my system Fibonacci Goals. They work like this:
And so on, with goal commitment ramping up by the Fibonacci sequence:
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, ....If I fail a goal, I slide back toward the previous step. If I miss my 21 day goal, I must complete another 13 day goal before re-attempting the 21 day goal. This gives me a win before I attempt another milestone.
You can start a Fibonacci goal game at any time of the year, and take breaks between goals. If you start on Jan 1, an unbroken chain of successful goal completion from 1-day up to the 89-day goal takes 232 days (August 20). Taking into account breaks and backslides, there's enough for a full year of wins.
I suspect I will achieve more with this system than if I go for a 365-day goal on my first attempt.
In Hegelian terms, if Goals are the thesis, and Systems are the antithesis, then Fibonacci Goals are the synthesis. A system made up of progressively increasing mini-goals.
My first goal in 2021 is to write this post. I will set my next tomorrow. I hope this gives you some ideas for your personal goals and systems too. No matter what you use, I would love to hear about them and to support you in your progress!
Problems Solved
Comparing Resolutions to Fibonacci Goals: