#036
21 September 2023
Reading time: 4 minutes

Boost your life satisfaction

Did you know that sense of meaning has an impact on our life satisfaction?

Scientists proved that heading towards a meaningful goal has a bigger impact on our life satisfaction than achieving a goal. The satisfaction from progress lasts longer. While sometimes it may have lower intensity, it is stronger when we have to overcome obstacles.

So, how can you ensure that you do meaningful things, make progress, and, in turn, increase your life satisfaction?

There are three things:
  1. Set goals based on your inner purpose and values
  2. Do things that move the needle
  3. Focus on the process, not on the results
You see, going after goals is easy. As Tony Robbins says

"It's not an art, it's just a science."
Tony Robbins' Science of Achievement and Art of Fulfilment

It means that achieving goals is a replicable step-by-step process.

Once you learn the steps of achieving a goal, you can use the same process for any goal.

Before my life crashed, I achieved a lot of goals. I knew how to do it because I learned the system. The problem was, that those goals were not mine. They reflected what everyone around taunted as worth going after. I bought into a narrative from the media and society without realising that I never looked inside myself to find out what I wanted.

Remember the story of the ladder against the wrong wall? You don't want to climb that ladder only to find yourself in the wrong place.
I have been there and the fall down from the ladder wasn't a pretty one.

I learned the hard way that setting goals starts with self-discovery.

"Your goals should reflect who you are and be based on your inner purpose and values. That gives them meaning."

Since I went deep inside my soul, I learned how to create a life full of satisfaction. And because I am an altruistic person, I want the same for you. So, below are some of the processes I use.

In the personal development sphere, the SMART goals are glorified. They are important but not the only type of goals.

Goal types

I recognise three types of goals:

1. SMART Goals (Create)
- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timed
- Slightly challenging; requiring growth and learning
2. Moonshot Goals (Create)
- More like a vision; no clear path or timeline
- Important for growth and stretching yourself (without vision people perish)
3. DUMB Goals (Cultivate)
- Doing Unchallenging Manual & Boring tasks
- Maintenance tasks for when you're too exhausted or down to try something new

Goal mixture

A good mixture of these goals might look like this:
- 10% Moonshot Goals
- 20-30% DUMB Maintenance Tasks
- 60-70% SMART Goals

I believe that it's essential to have a balance of these three types of goals. It gives you an overview of the journey ahead, helps you see the progress you made, and increases your overall life satisfaction.

Your satisfaction and fulfilment grow when you are consistently making progress towards meaningful goals aligned with your values.

1-to-5 system

I created and used a simple but powerful system to ensure that I make progress every day. It covers all life areas, helps me to stay productive, and keeps me focused.

I call it 1-to-5, and it's incredibly easy to follow.

  1. One step towards your vision
    - Every day, take one small step that brings you closer to your grand vision or moonshot goal. This could be as simple as reading a chapter from a book that helps you understand how to achieve it. Just one small step, but over the long term it makes all the difference. By taking those steps, even the most outlandish vision gradually turns into an achievable goal. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Because the moonshot goals are so out of our reach (it's kind of a dream) we usually feel overwhelmed, we don't know what to do or even where to start. Because of that we usually dream and do nothing for years. By doing one simple thing to discover more and to understand or test how it is done, we bring the dream closer to reality every day. Remember, someday means never.
  2. Two hours of deep work
    - Dedicate at least two hours each day to working deeply on your most important SMART goal. These focused sessions are crucial for making progress.
  3. Three SMART goals
    - Complete three additional simple tasks related to your SMART goals. They can be related to the same goal or to different goals, that doesn't matter. They don't need to be time-consuming either. They should still contribute to your overall objectives.
  4. Four DUMB tasks
    - Carry out four DUMB tasks daily. These are short maintenance activities that help maintain the standards of your living. Examples are exercising, doing dishes after meals, or sorting out one drawer.
  5. Five minutes of planning
    - Spend five minutes every evening planning the next day's 1-to-5 tasks. I don't usually plan all four DUMB tasks as some will naturally arise during the day. I focus on selecting 1. one step towards my moonshot goal, 2. the task for a two-hour deep work session, and 3. three other SMART goal tasks.
Side note:
I have a big problem with number four. I tend to get lost in the deep work for much longer than just two hours. Because of that, I find myself lacking the time to do other things.
That's why I have a separate Cultivation time block for maintenance tasks. Mainly for the longer ones or those which reoccur weekly. (e.g., shopping, budgeting, house cleaning, and laundry). I also have a friend who helps me with maintaining the house.
But unless I have a bipolar episode, I try hard to do four cultivation things every day and I am getting better at it.

So that's it, my 1-to-5 system.

Why it works? It covers all important areas of life (if you have your goals based on your purpose and values). It maintains balance in your life with moonshots, SMART, and DUMB tasks. And it ensures that you'll always move forward.

My tip today:

Spend just five minutes tonight planning your tasks for tomorrow. When you wake up, you will already know what you want to achieve and that will make it easier to do it.
Btw., if you don't know how to set goals based on your inner purpose and values, I can help you with that.
Stay awesome and have a great week.

Lubo



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Thank you for reading.
See you next time.

Lubo

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