Hello, Lovelies!
We’re back to figuring out how gritty you are!
One concept I need to clarify: passion is consistency over time, not the intensity by which you complete a goal. Passion is caring about your ultimate goal in a loyal, unyielding manner. Keeping this in mind, we’re going to explore the concept of goal hierarchies.
Multi-level goal hierarchies consist of your low-level goals and your high-level goals. The low-level goals are your means to an end. They help get a higher tier goal accomplished. Your high-level goal(s) are more abstract. These are the end in itself.
Grit is holding onto the same Top-level goal over time. In very gritty individuals, mid- & low-level goals are related to your Ultimate goals. If you found you are lower on the Grit Scale, this typically comes from possessing a less coherent goal structure. This may stem from three possible reasons.
- “Positive Fantasizing”–indulging in a vision of a positive future without concrete plans
- Possessing Mid-level goals without a unifying Top-level goal
- Possessing multiple, competing goal hierarchies
“But Breezer! I have more than one top goal! I am a parent AND a professional!”
This is TOTALLY fine! Just note the more unified, aligned, and coordinated your goal hierarchies are, the better.
Warren Buffet’s 3 Steps to Prioritizing Goals
There’s a story about THE Warren Buffet asking his pilot about his life goals, popularizing his simple, though not easy, steps toward rooting out the goals to focus on.
- Write down a list of at least 25 career goals.
- Circle the five highest priority goals.
- Take a critical look at the goals NOT circled. Keep in mind, these goals are taking time away from focusing on the ones you just decided were your top priority.
Angela Duckworth suggest you add another step to this list.
- Ask yourself do these goals serve a common purpose?
Sometimes, a low-level goal becomes a dead-end. For whatever reason, a goal does not work out. Seek out a new low-level goal. Keep trying. Keep going
Catherine Cox’s Study of High Achievers
Catherine Cox was a psychologist at Stanford University who studied high achievers. She developed definitive identifiers of what set them apart. It was not IQ. It was four indicators; two which relate to passion and two which relate to perseverance.
Passion
- Degree to which a person focuses on prepping for the future. Working toward a definite goal.
- Tendency to not abandon tasks. Not seeking novelty.
Perseverance
- Degree of strength of will. Quiet determination to stay the course.
- Tendency not to abandon tasks when facing obstacles. Tenacity.
No matter what you scored on your Grit Score from the last post, let it stand as point from which you can measure your progress as you focus on your Ultimate goal.
Has Warren Buffet’s method helped you prioritize your professional goals? Any other types of goals? Leave a comment!
