Without strategy, tactics are pointless

I love strategy.

As a kid, I played lots of video games that rewarded long-term strategic thinking. I learned to define objectives, to set intermediate goals, and to translate those goals into action. Playing soccer with the other kids from my town, my thoughts would weigh the pros and cons of various game strategies.

Thinking strategically has served me well in my non-gaming life too. As it turns out, defining your objectives, setting intermediate goals, and translating those goals into action is a recipe for success in many fields.

When I talk about productivity, and when I say “getting stuff done’’, the goal isn’t to check off as many items on your to-do list. Instead, the goal is... whatever your goal is!

And on that note: what is your goal? What are your goals?

I am working on a new course that will cover goal-setting, among other topics. Because even if you’re productive on the day-to-day, tactical level—checking lots of items off your list—that means little if your strategy for achieving your big-picture goals is wrong.

Do you have a list of your life goals? Can you name them? If not, start there.

I suspect I’ll be sharing more on this topic with you in the coming weeks, as I work on the new course. In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your goals—what are they and how are you doing on achieving them?