Getting things done

Getting things done is important, getting the right things done is even more important. Being efficient means that you are productive and you produce the right things of the right quality. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of tools that have worked well for us to share with you. We wrote this because your success is important to us.

A short note on goals

Goal setting is a process you go through to know where you want to be in the future and to motivate you to turn that future vision into a reality. The process of goal setting takes some time, you should draft goals, revisit them and explore them. How do they sit with you, do they suit the person you want to be, are they relevant? Great goal setting requires you to know yourself and your motivators. You also need to know what you want to be when you “grow up” as we always say.

Goals should be SMART, an acronym for

  • Specific (or Significant)
  • Measureable (or Meaningful)
  • Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
  • Relevant (or Rewarding)
  • Time bound (or Trackable)

The Goal “Make new friends” is ok, “Make 10 new friends” is better but “Make 10 new friends within reasonable travel distance before end of year” is great. You can have 1 year goals, 5 year goals and even 20 year goals.

A tip on setting goals

There are many ways to go about it. One super simple method we’ve used in the past follows.

  • Try writing down who and where you want to be in the future. If that is hard, take some time and think about it, it will make goal setting a whole lot easier.
  • Decompose that vision into elements, ask yourself what qualities or achievements do you need to realize that vision. Those will be your goals
  • Now you can break those goals down into milestones, achievements and tasks.
  • Start working towards your future vision. It’s just that simple.

Types of Goals

There are many different type of goals and it’s important for any person to balance their goals against each other. Too many work-related goals? Your private life might suffer. Too many family related goals? Your social life might suffer. You should categorize your goals, using categories such as Career, family, physical, social life and so on. This allows you to see what matters to you and if you have covered that with your goals.

The toolbox

You don't need to invent the wheel when it comes to setting goals. We've prepared a list of usefull resources, tools and books you can use to support you while setting goals. The list contains items that we feel have worked well for us, and we hope they can help you too. Here are the tools:

7 habits

Stephen R. Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®, has been a top-seller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. The book contains a catalogue of habits, discussions on goal setting and is a great resource for anyone considering goal setting and the type of person they want to be in the future.

Best self co.

BestSelf Co is on a mission to create meaningful products that help people become their Best Self. It was launched by two entrepreneurs on a journey of personal growth. They make A powerful yet simple daily planner to help you structure your day, enjoy life, and reach your goals quicker than you thought possible. The planner includes methodology to set goals, track them and monitor your progress.

Bullet journal

Bullet Journal® (or BuJo® for short) was created by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer living in Brooklyn, NY. Through many years of trial and error, the system has evolved into the ideas presented here. He sees this as an evolving, adaptable practice meant to be self curated as you determine what works best for you. The system is very execution oriented and can help you track your goals.

Life plan toolkit

Sometimes life circumstances make it impossible for people to achieve their dreams. More often, though, people simply don't organize themselves to turn their dreams into reality - and then "wake up" and find that life has passed them by. With this toolkit, you can make sure that this doesn't happen to you!

It will take you through a tried and tested, practical life design and goal-setting framework that you can use to set out on your own path to success and fulfilment.

In conclusion

We’ve discussed goals and tools you can use to help you set and track your goals. What have you been using and how that’s worked for you? Send us a line or leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

Jón Grétar Guðjónsson