Learn about goals

Six TED talks to help you set goals

Goal setting is such an important skill in life and work, because goals make it possible to focus on what matters most. The TED talks below, plus a few more videos and books have helped me learn about setting and reaching for goals. To aspire is one of the practices that increase happiness and well-being. Learn more at the post How to Set Goals, the Goal Toolkit, and with my book “Get Goaling.”

Goals that WORK include:

• WHY? purpose and passion reflected in action
• Objectives are WHAT you will do to go in the right direction
• Reflect values
• Key Results are HOW you will achieve the goal

John Doerr talks about Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in his TED Talk Why the secret to success is setting the right goals (11:51) Read more in his book “Measure What Matters .” OKRs work for both business and personal goals.

“Goals” by Brian Tracy – video (32:15)

“Your Best Year Ever” by Michael S Hyatt – summary (9:42)

Tony Robbins – goal setting video (42:16) Bonus: TED talk “Why We Do What We Do” (23:12) Tony emphasizes connecting SMART goals to vision and purpose for laser focus.

This video talks about the importance of knowing why you want to achieve the goals you have chosen. Goals that are meaningful are powerful. See End Goals Lead to a Meaningful Journey. Next, you need to know how you plan to achieve them, because the science of goals shows that specific and written goals are far more likely to be accomplished. Planning and making goals measurable are some of the vital skills for setting goals. Learn more about planning at Skills Employers Want #4 – Planning.

Bonus books, TED talks and video (Amazon affiliate links provide a small commission to help support the Daily PlanIt)

• Get It Done by Ayelet Fishbach, TED How to set the right goals and stay motivated
• Shut Up and Go! by Brandon Dempsey, TED a cheat sheet to turning dreams into reality
• Alpha Brain by Stephen Dunier, TED How to achieve your most ambitious goals
• The 6% Club by Michelle Rozen, TED Secrets of the 6%
• Chuck Wachendorger TED talk “How to set goals you’ll actually accomplish” by Chuck Wachendorfer, “Goal Setting Toolkit” from Mel Robbins (57:29)

To aspire is to direct one’s hopes or ambitions toward achieving something. Learn how to take six actions toward reaching your aspirations with ideas from the books and videos below, which include five TED talks.

• Act on purpose
• Set your mindset
• Pick priorities
• Inspire motivation
• Resolve to apply grit
• Establish habits

Act on purpose

Read Victor Strecher’s “Life on Purpose” and watch his TED Talk (26:09)

Goals that AIM toward a vision that is Active, Inspiring, and Meaningful have built in motivation. Read more about Purpose Planning at the Daily PlanIt.

Set your mindset

Read “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. Watch “Developing a Growth Mindset,” (9:37) and see more resources. Determination and persistence are important to accomplish goals.

Pick priorities

Stephen R. Covey talks about the Time Management Matrix in “First Things First.” Watch a video book summary (11:28) and Using the Eisenhower Matrix (5:40). Stephen R. Covey speaks about priorities in the video below. (7:11, this one is not a TED talk)

“Effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker. Find activities that are very effective because they provide BIG impact and HIGH engagement with the Effect Priority Matrix at The Priority Flowchart. Read more about setting priorities at the Daily PlanIt.

Inspire motivation

Read “Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us” by Dan Pink and watch his TED Talk “The Puzzle of Motivation” (18:36)

Learn more about motivation at the Daily PlanIt post “What’s the Motivation?”

Resolve to apply grit

Read Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit“and watch her TED talk (18:37)

Read more about grit at the Daily PlanIt post “The Wimpy Person’s Guide to Grit”

Establish good habits

Read “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Then watch Dan Ariely’s TED Talk on Self Control (17:49).

Read more about creating habits here at the Daily PlanIt.

Once you have chosen goals and made them written and SMART, use your time well to make them happen! See more of my favorite books for a year of pesonal growth.

About dailyplanit

I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.