Insert Goals Into Larger Goals

by Armen · 5 comments

One way for you to add increased energy towards completing a task or accomplishing a goal is to include it in a larger goal or task.  This is described as treating it as a “means to an end”, instead of treating it as the end of the procedure when it is completed.  I will list some examples of how this can be used and then explain why the reframing has the effect that it does.1. If you want to increase the amount of vocabulary words that you understand the meaning of, memorizing the definitions of such words would be a direct goal.  Reading books which have an abundance of these words disseminated within them would be the way to insert that smaller goal(the intended goal at first) into a larger goal(completion of higher-level reading).

2. If you are interested in learning a computer programming language, going through a tutorial or guidebook that starts from the most basic commands and builds up from there would be a direct goal.  Analyzing, editing, and breaking down into parts an already created program to find out how to change an algorithm in it inserts the goal of learning programming concepts into the larger goal of altering how the chosen program works.

3. If you are looking to learn a set of piano chords that you had not previously tried, a direct goal to set would be to get the key arrangement to look at as sheet music and practice them until you got them down.  A way to embed this goal into a larger goal would be to find a song of interest that contains the select piano chords to be learned, and focus on getting the whole song played.

The reason this method works to increase the chances that the smaller goal will work is that the context of the situation is changed.  It becomes vital for you to complete the original goal since it is a crucial part of the larger goal.  Your mind will be thinking in longer terms, and this will help to buffer against possible setbacks that would have normally stopped you along the way.  Also, you will have added the extra option of stopping before you complete the larger goal(not that stopping is recommended), even though you got through the smaller task along the way.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

ROSA September 15, 2008 at 12:16 pm

I will follow the direction for learning the vocbulary & piano. I beleive it is a great suggestion.
Thank you timelessinformation.com

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Mike King September 15, 2008 at 4:20 pm

Good tips. Achieving one goal should never be the end of it so your idea to encompass it in others is a great way to master something.!

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Timeless September 15, 2008 at 8:27 pm

Rosa, I am glad to hear that. Also, to Mike, you bring up a good point that achieving a goal shouldn’t even be the “final result”, and that every goal should be thought of as leading to a next goal in one’s mind.

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Athena September 19, 2008 at 12:49 am

Wait, do I read this and grasp it correctly to mean, if I wanna increase my boost, thus my energy… I could insert my assists and actually get more goals? Wait is this a metaphor for Uniball or life? Duh me…

Well written. :-)

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