There are many books, gurus, coaches, and trainers who promote various processes of personal development. Some are great; all are probably helpful. From Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen to Atomic Habits by James Clear, and hundreds of titles in between, there is a wealth of great advice to be gotten.
There are also many goal-oriented personal development coaches. Again, some are great; all are probably helpful. Deep Work by Cal Newport or The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone will help you get more power in the goal-setting arena.
But, since the human being is such an immaculately designed and fine-tuned creature, perhaps there is a formula for maximizing our personal development. I am not alone in suggesting that it should take both goal-oriented and process-oriented efforts to make the most progress.
After all, there is no such thing as a design without a goal or purpose. Therefore our efforts to develop ourselves to the fullest must start with discovering that ultimate, higher, or “intrinsic” goal or purpose for our design.
Secondly, with a clearer understanding of our intrinsic goal or purpose of being, together with our own self-ascribed (personal) goals and purposes, we can then choose and implement those well-thought-out and proven processes (as suggested in the first paragraph) and achieve the best possible results.
How might we determine our intrinsic goals or purposes? What do you think they are?
The harmonization of our intrinsic goals or purposes with our self-ascribed, personal goals or purposes is crucial for success. How are you doing harmonizing these goals/purposes?
What if they don’t sync?
How might we prioritize each of our goals and purposes in relation to the others?
Please share your thoughts below.
I have observed that some people are process-oriented and others are goal-oriented. Neither appears to be inherently better, it depends on the person, and somewhat on the particular task. As in many other aspects of life, “know yourself” is key.
I agree. I would suggest that each needs some of the other in order to create the best result.
I am definitely a process person, but that is not to say I don’t have goals. A goal and purpose is certainly a starting point for any activity, but since we are “relational beings” the process isn’t really determined or controlled completely by me. The goal on the other hand is solely determined by me. The process includes the environment, time and challenges. For example the goal of a carrot seed is to grow into a long, sweet carrot however if the weather is hot and dry, if it’s left in the ground too long or if there are rocks in the soil, chances are it won’t reach its ultimate goal. As human beings we may have goals in our lives but we must contend with our cultural, economic and social circumstances. We must contend with our age and personal abilities and we must contend with the challenges of our… Read more »
Very good insights. I certainly agree. Let us not forget about the ancestral and spirit world environment which may affect both our efforts and day-to-day decisions in the process but also may affect our choice of goals, large and small. I could elaborate but I will leave it to others.