Own constitution as a foundation for setting goals
Discussing this topic here , the guys from SmartProgress asked for more details about the concept of "sharpening the saw" or the process of setting high goals. Taking advantage of the cases, I would like not only to write a few paragraphs, but also to talk on the subject of some calculations, which I reached myself. I would be grateful for edits and sensible thoughts in the comments.
So, three years ago in my career a turning point happened - from a specialist and engineer I was turned into a manager. Not to say that I was very happy: the responsibility increased, the number of overtime, business trips, flights, headaches increased. In general, a lot of things have increased, including the salary. The latter, however, outweighed the rest.
')
And I began to learn to work as a manager. Many books have been re-read, including planning and time management. All these GTD, timedrayv and other gentleman's set of the young manager. Then it turned out one small, but annoying detail: you can not take and plan only a part of their lives. Well, it does not work when you keep lists and other labuden just for work. Mogz, at least for me, either trusts the lists in which ALL business is written, or does not trust and is constantly steaming. And to steam with thoughts of the type, “but have I forgotten or not forgotten?” This is not at all cool.
And I began to plan everything without reserve. From now on, the lists began to coexist “to sign a contract at the office of XXX” and “to go to the door next to XXX and buy a lid from the frying pan that my wife requested.” Life has become a little easier. But there was a feeling that I was bogged down in trifles. There is a very good saying that signifies my state of the time - there is no forest behind the trees. And I began to look for a solution.
I must say that out of all the time management literature, I like two books: David Allen , How to Clean Up Business, and Stephen Covey , Seven Skills of Highly Effective People . Allen is good just as a way to deal with the routine. Taking his system as a basis, I bungled a chain from a computer and an Android phone in the form of the website Toodledo.som + of the Got ToDo program (hopelessly outdated, trying to find a replacement) + Pure Calendar. This covers all my needs by 100% (if interested, I can describe the system in the comments). But this, I repeat, the struggle with the current routine. But I just want to soar above current affairs, and see if I go there at all?
Allen also has a good concept for tags “some thousand feet above the ground”. Example: your current business is land or a runway. Current projects (consisting of several current affairs), this is already a height of 10,000 feet. Plans for 1-2 years, it is already 30,000 feet. Plans for 3-5 years are 40,000, plans for a lifetime are 50,000 feet. Quite an understandable allegory, the higher you are, the farther the planning horizon. And even the way to achieve these goals is understandable - you plan a megacelle, think what step to take first (the very piece that you quietly eat an elephant ) and plan this step among current affairs. And here I was faced with an unexpected problem - but how to understand which goals I really want to plan at 40,000 feet or 50,000? Here after all, hell, it is very important not to be mistaken. There will be no second chance.
And then Covey came in handy. He also has the concept of "some thousands of feet above the ground," only called otherwise, "sharpening the saw." Those. there is a megacel, and you periodically “sharpen the saw”, in other words, perform actions to achieve a megacelle. Here, however, nothing new. But Covey has one great thought, and I will allow myself to quote it:
“A personal message based on the correct principles can serve as a standard of personality. This is a personal constitution, a basis for making vital decisions, an unshakable center in the cycle of events and feelings. It helps to survive among any shocks. We could not exist in the “crazy”, superdynamic world without a solid and unchanging core, an inner core, unshakable knowledge: who you are, what you want from life and what are your innermost values ​​”
Simply put, a personal constitution (although I don’t like all these words, such as “mission,” “creed,” and other bullshit), it is a measure that says whether I am doing the right thing. And whether I set the right goal for myself.
I will not give those examples of constitutions that are listed in the book. They may seem naive or boring, as, indeed, most of the truths. The grain, it seems to me, lies precisely in having such a constitution written about myself somewhere near at hand. And then in a difficult time of decision-making, she can help out great. After all, the constitution describes the ideal we, the very ones we would like to become over time.
Personally, I have written such a constitution. I don’t show it to anyone, I’m terribly embarrassed about her, but I keep it as my moral reference point. And you know, looking into the future has become much easier. Now there are no such strange goals as “to buy a yacht and go to Brazil for a carnival”. Don't get me wrong, if such an opportunity arises, I will definitely take advantage of it. But this is not the goal. But in my plans now there is “spending the weekend with my son” and “as often as possible reminding my wife about how much I love her.” Because it is right.
So, three years ago in my career a turning point happened - from a specialist and engineer I was turned into a manager. Not to say that I was very happy: the responsibility increased, the number of overtime, business trips, flights, headaches increased. In general, a lot of things have increased, including the salary. The latter, however, outweighed the rest.
')
And I began to learn to work as a manager. Many books have been re-read, including planning and time management. All these GTD, timedrayv and other gentleman's set of the young manager. Then it turned out one small, but annoying detail: you can not take and plan only a part of their lives. Well, it does not work when you keep lists and other labuden just for work. Mogz, at least for me, either trusts the lists in which ALL business is written, or does not trust and is constantly steaming. And to steam with thoughts of the type, “but have I forgotten or not forgotten?” This is not at all cool.
And I began to plan everything without reserve. From now on, the lists began to coexist “to sign a contract at the office of XXX” and “to go to the door next to XXX and buy a lid from the frying pan that my wife requested.” Life has become a little easier. But there was a feeling that I was bogged down in trifles. There is a very good saying that signifies my state of the time - there is no forest behind the trees. And I began to look for a solution.
I must say that out of all the time management literature, I like two books: David Allen , How to Clean Up Business, and Stephen Covey , Seven Skills of Highly Effective People . Allen is good just as a way to deal with the routine. Taking his system as a basis, I bungled a chain from a computer and an Android phone in the form of the website Toodledo.som + of the Got ToDo program (hopelessly outdated, trying to find a replacement) + Pure Calendar. This covers all my needs by 100% (if interested, I can describe the system in the comments). But this, I repeat, the struggle with the current routine. But I just want to soar above current affairs, and see if I go there at all?
Allen also has a good concept for tags “some thousand feet above the ground”. Example: your current business is land or a runway. Current projects (consisting of several current affairs), this is already a height of 10,000 feet. Plans for 1-2 years, it is already 30,000 feet. Plans for 3-5 years are 40,000, plans for a lifetime are 50,000 feet. Quite an understandable allegory, the higher you are, the farther the planning horizon. And even the way to achieve these goals is understandable - you plan a megacelle, think what step to take first (the very piece that you quietly eat an elephant ) and plan this step among current affairs. And here I was faced with an unexpected problem - but how to understand which goals I really want to plan at 40,000 feet or 50,000? Here after all, hell, it is very important not to be mistaken. There will be no second chance.
And then Covey came in handy. He also has the concept of "some thousands of feet above the ground," only called otherwise, "sharpening the saw." Those. there is a megacel, and you periodically “sharpen the saw”, in other words, perform actions to achieve a megacelle. Here, however, nothing new. But Covey has one great thought, and I will allow myself to quote it:
“A personal message based on the correct principles can serve as a standard of personality. This is a personal constitution, a basis for making vital decisions, an unshakable center in the cycle of events and feelings. It helps to survive among any shocks. We could not exist in the “crazy”, superdynamic world without a solid and unchanging core, an inner core, unshakable knowledge: who you are, what you want from life and what are your innermost values ​​”
Simply put, a personal constitution (although I don’t like all these words, such as “mission,” “creed,” and other bullshit), it is a measure that says whether I am doing the right thing. And whether I set the right goal for myself.
I will not give those examples of constitutions that are listed in the book. They may seem naive or boring, as, indeed, most of the truths. The grain, it seems to me, lies precisely in having such a constitution written about myself somewhere near at hand. And then in a difficult time of decision-making, she can help out great. After all, the constitution describes the ideal we, the very ones we would like to become over time.
Personally, I have written such a constitution. I don’t show it to anyone, I’m terribly embarrassed about her, but I keep it as my moral reference point. And you know, looking into the future has become much easier. Now there are no such strange goals as “to buy a yacht and go to Brazil for a carnival”. Don't get me wrong, if such an opportunity arises, I will definitely take advantage of it. But this is not the goal. But in my plans now there is “spending the weekend with my son” and “as often as possible reminding my wife about how much I love her.” Because it is right.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/169109/
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