As I was driving our UHaul truck through Wyoming while moving to Rapid City, SD a couple of weeks ago, I listened to the audiobook of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear.
Early in the book, Clear emphasizes the limitations of goals. He points out that in sports, both the winning and losing teams share the same goal to win, and that just having a goal doesn’t mean it will be achieved. He emphasizes that what brings about achievements are the small changes brought about by habits.
When Goals Were the King of Productivity
Years ago, the big productivity tip everyone was talking about was the need to set measurable, specific goals. Over 30 years ago, Stephen Covey wrote in the hugely popular The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.”
I remember hearing this mantra in Air Force leadership courses, religious leadership courses, and reading it in many articles. Later, I heard about SMART goals, those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
All the hype left the impression with some that if you set SMART goals you’re sure to reach them. We’ve learned that’s not true. It takes more than just setting a goal to reach a goal. It also takes actions.
“Goals Are Stupid”
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and Atomic Habits, by James Clear, helped to highlight the limitations of goals and the importance of habits.
However, some productivity commentators have responded to this evidence by overreacting in a way that is not reasonable or helpful. One went to the extreme of actually saying, “Goals are Stupid.” He argued that goals are ineffective and useless and that we should think only in terms of setting habits, not goals.
To me, this is a classic example of “throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” While it is certainly true that goals have limitations, that does not mean they are worthless or stupid.
Both Goals and Habits Are Required to Achieve Results
As I was listening to Atomic Habits, I was thinking about the relationship between goals and habits. Although I understand the point James Clear makes about the importance of habits and the limitations of goals, I am not convinced this diminishes the importance of having goals.
Goals are where you’re going, habits are the way you get there. How do you know what habits to form if you don’t know where you’re trying to go? Where you’re trying to go is the goal. Both goals and habits are necessary to be productive.
A couple of days after we arrived in Rapid City, I read a brief comment by Shawn Blanc that expressed the same sentiment: “Goals give you a direction to go. Habits keep you moving forward toward your goals.”
In considering goals and habits, it’s a mistake to highlight one to the exclusion of the other.
• We need goals to set the direction we’re headed, to determine which habits to intentionally set up to get us to our goals.
• We require habits to support our goals and help us to achieve them.
Practical Examples of How Goals and Habits Work Together to Support Each Other
a. Losing Weight
Losing weight is a practical example of how goals and habits work together to achieve the result we want.
I’ve set a goal to weigh 160 pounds, which means I have to lose 10 pounds (4.54 kg). However, it’s not likely I’ll reach that goal without establishing some appropriate habits to make changes. I ask myself, “What habits would a healthy person have that wants to reduce their weight?” In my case, I:
• Track my calorie intake on the FoodNoms app, so I can stay under my daily limit. See, I’ve Added the FoodNoms App to my Morning Routine.
• Weigh my meal portions on a small kitchen scale every time I eat to ensure I’m not exceeding the number of calories I’ve budgeted for a meal.
• Have on hand healthy low-cal snacks so when I’m hungry between meals, I have a healthy option.
• Do some kind of exercise every day.
b. Writing and Publishing a New Blog Post Every Week
I’ve established several habits that get me to the goal I want: writing and publishing a new blog post every week.
• As a part of my daily morning routine, I read several curated sources that spark my thinking and give me ideas for new blog posts. See, How to Create an App-Based Morning Routine That Will Jump-Start Your Productive Day
• When I get a new idea for a post, I have a habit of recording it right then, thanks to an Apple Shortcut. See How To Create & Develop New Ideas.
• I have a reminder show up on my task manager every Friday to remind me to scan my list of blog ideas, pick one, and start a MindNode mind map.
• I have a reminder from my task manager every Sunday to finalize the mind map for my new post.
• Every Monday morning we go to a local coffee shop where I write the first draft of my new blog post. See Coffee Shop Mondays Are For Writing.
Make Use of Goals and Habits
While habits are important for making small changes and achieving results over time, goals provide direction and determine which habits to develop.
To maximize your productivity, use both goals and habits to reach your objectives.