In a society that pursues goals, you pursue tactics.
Why goals are completely unimportant and why tactics will ultimately make you happy
Let’s consider the following scenario: You are a freelancer, for example a plumber or electrician, you are legally registered, and you want to increase your income. So you visit a motivational speaker who tells you: “You need to set goals.”
So that’s what you do. You say you want 2% more income in 2 months and to get more customers. You finally succeed and go back to that speaker. This time, he tells you to step out of your comfort zone, take out a very small loan, and increase your income by 5%. In the end, you don’t succeed. And you go back again. But he has already disappeared.
What went wrong? Because the problem wasn’t you, nor was it the speaker. The problem was that you didn’t use your ability to achieve what you wanted, and you saw the opportunity as simply “more money.”
What do I mean?
In a goal-oriented society, strategies are what make the difference. And what is a strategy? A set of tactics. And what is a tactic? A habit or a move.
And here’s an example.
Instead of taking out a loan, you invested the money you earned (2%) in better equipment or better connections—a move—and did the same work with your customers—a habit — but at the same time found a way to increase your income through your status — tactic — then you would become sought after — strategy — and ultimately get the results you wanted.
What am I trying to say, influenced by the book “Atomic Habits”? That it is important to make changes to our identity and not to its outer shell, because no matter how good they may seem, in the end they will fail or cause us stress.
So, do I need to have no goals? Have tactics, good habits, and the means to satisfy them. And then, if you have time to spare, set goals. But don’t be disappointed if you don’t achieve them, and don’t base your happiness on when you complete them. Because life is unpredictable and nothing is certain.
By having routines, you will ultimately be able to become happy. Or at least happier. Why? Because you will know who you are and what you are doing, and this will become automatic. As a result, you will focus only on the important and essential things in your life.