Intentionality: On perfect practice - a study on goal setting.

I mentioned to Mike the other day - as we were on our weekly call - that when I look back over the week - I don’t have a sense of accomplishment. I survive the week, I probably enjoy most of the days along the way - but it is far too pedestrian and passive - and I don’t normally feel as though I’m closer to a goal. Some goal. Any goal. Really - just any sense of forward progress. Unless the goal is getting through the week and keeping everyone alive.

Then along rolls Monday and I start it all again.

So - this leads to a larger meta question: what should the goal be? What would progress (forward or backwards) look like? And that’s when I realized I was working on the problem the wrong way.

This isn’t about picking “The Goal” (great book, but I digress). It’s about picking a goal.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.

This leaves me with the distinct problem of “what’s good enough” - which can easily morph back into “perfect” - but I’m going to try not to do it.  Instead - I’m going to pick a weekly goal (or Daily - or whatever) and see if I can knock it out. Out of the park. 

I’d like to imagine I’ll be doing this in 6 months - but I probably won’t. But for now - it's a great artificial focusing exercise. To do this right - will require intention. And the state of being intentional - is Intentionality - the namesake for this blog so far.

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes habits. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Intentionality - the prerequisite for perfect practice.

-DW

PS. Quit navel gazing and just get started. Seriously - pick the first thing in your mind and just start there. Lather Rinse Repeat.