As human beings, we often find ourselves pondering the meaning and purpose of our lives. It’s a question that can be difficult to answer, and one that requires a great deal of introspection and effort. In order to find meaning and purpose in our lives, we must first set up aims and goals that align with our values and personality traits. It’s important to be motivated and disciplined in pursuing these goals, while also being flexible enough to adjust them as we gain wisdom and experience. By having a clear vision for our lives and breaking it down into achievable goals, we can create a sense of direction and purpose that gives meaning to our daily routines and activities. Below are some of the main ideas from Jordan Peterson, which you can consider when setting up aims and goals for your life, and how to approach them in a way that maximizes your potential for success and fulfillment.
- Set up aims for yourself, goals that you actually value and that motivate you.
- Your goals should align with your personality traits (e.g. extroverted = friends, agreeable = intimate relationship, open = creative activity, etc.).
- It’s important to have something to aim for, as well as something to run away from.
- Discipline yourself in one dimension, see what happens, and adjust accordingly.
- Life is like a game where you set forth an aim and arrange your perceptions and actions in pursuit of it, while cooperating and competing with others.
- Have a vision for your life that justifies your effort, despite the fact that there will be anxiety, threats, suffering, and loss involved.
- Treat yourself like someone responsible for helping, and start with the presupposition that it’s worth having you around.
- Use a schedule to plan out your goals and the micro-routines that will help you achieve them, but make sure it’s flexible and realistic.
- Make your positive vision into eight stateable goals, rank them in a hierarchy, and break them into incremental goals so that you have a reasonable probability of succeeding within a time frame.
- Have a rationale for your goals that benefits not only yourself but also your family and the broader community.
- When doubts and obstacles arise, remind yourself of the reasons why you’re pursuing your goals.
- The known is the place you are when what you’re doing produces the results you want, and it validates the structure that governs your perceptions and actions.
Setting up aims and goals for your life is a crucial step towards finding meaning and purpose in your daily routines and activities. By aligning your goals with your personality traits, having a clear vision for your life, and breaking it down into achievable goals, you can create a sense of direction and purpose that motivates you to take action towards your aspirations. It’s important to be disciplined and flexible in pursuing your goals, and to have a rationale for why they benefit not only yourself, but also your family and the broader community. Remember to treat yourself like someone responsible for helping and to focus on the known, the place where your actions produce the results you want.