DeepSummary
In this podcast episode, Mark Manson and Drew discuss the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. Mark admits that he failed to achieve his goal of running a marathon on his 40th birthday, citing the immense time commitment required for training and the interference it caused with his work obligations. Drew shares his progress toward improving his sleep quality, describing the techniques he employed, such as tracking, reducing caffeine intake, and limiting screen time.
The episode also covers the results of a survey sent to the podcast audience regarding their personal goals for the year. Around 78% of respondents reported sticking with their goals, with many attributing their success to strategies like tracking progress, seeking accountability partners, and engaging with motivational content. Some key lessons learned included the value of self-discovery through goal-setting and the importance of adaptability when life circumstances change.
Manson and Drew emphasize that goals should ultimately serve an individual's values and priorities. They suggest reassessing or abandoning goals that no longer align with one's values or create unnecessary suffering. The episode concludes with their updated health-related goals for the remainder of the year, focused on strength training for Manson and improved sleep quality for Drew.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Goals should serve as tools to align behaviors with personal values and priorities, rather than being treated as immutable objectives.
- It is often necessary to reassess or abandon goals that no longer align with one's values, create unnecessary suffering, or prove unrealistic given life circumstances.
- The process of setting and pursuing goals can lead to valuable self-discovery and insights about one's true priorities and limitations.
- Strategies like tracking progress, seeking accountability, and engaging with motivational content can increase the likelihood of achieving goals.
- It is important to remain adaptable and willing to adjust goals when life circumstances change, rather than stubbornly persisting with goals that no longer make sense.
- Goals that incentivize unethical or harmful behavior should be reconsidered and realigned with ethical values.
- Pursuing goals solely for external validation or arbitrary reasons may not justify the effort and suffering involved.
- Incremental progress and self-awareness are often more valuable than rigidly achieving specific numerical targets or milestones.
Top Episodes Quotes
- โIt's funny because that discovery, it can go different. Like, I've always had this weird fetish, I think, that a lot of people have for just like, really grueling, challenging, painful things, ordeals. You know, it's like the guys who run do Iron Man's and climb Everest and all this shit. Like, I've always had this kind of sick fascination with it and romanticized it to a certain extent. And my whole life, I've always kind of, like, fantasized of doing something like that, accomplishing something like that. But it's one of those things that I discovered about myself that it's like when I'm actually out doing it, it feels completely meaningless and purposeless.โ by Mark Manson
- โSo the principle is that your goal should be moving you towards your values. And the moment that they stop, they start moving you away from your values. That's when it's time to give it up.โ by Mark Manson
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Episode Information
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast
Mark Manson
6/26/24
A lot of people treat goals like some kind of sacred self-improvement law, where the most important thing you can do is set and achieve your goals.
But goals are simply tools we use to point us in the right direction. Your goals should serve youโand so you shouldnโt be a slave to some arbitrary goal you set when itโs no longer serving you. So how do you know when a goal is no longer pushing you in the right direction?
In this episode, I talk about why I gave up a pretty big goal I set at the beginning of the year. I discuss what I think are the criteria you should use when deciding whether to give up on a goal or stick it out.
We also discuss what we learned from the goals survey we did for podcast viewers and listeners. How many stuck with their goals and how many have moved on? What are the most effective tactics people used to stick to their goals? What are the most important lessons they learned about their goals and themselves?
Check it out.
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