Jon Acuff Made A Good Point About Social Media In His Latest Book

Setting goals is straightforward, nevertheless it is dependent upon what you should achieve.

This fall, I need to hike more within the forest near my home. It’s a 10-minute drive, and all I actually have to do is grab my automotive keys and head out. This goal, in comparison with others, corresponding to writing a novel or researching artificial intelligence isn’t insurmountable. Only a couple of miles. The exercise and fresh air helps me to focus and think.

The issue I actually have isn’t that my mountaineering goal is simply too high Hard to consider?, it’s that other “goals” in life are far It is simpler to grasp. I may need a goal to ascertain my Instagram feed and reply to comments, but that doesn’t require that I drive anywhere. I don’t need mountaineering shoes; I don’t even have to go away my chair.

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The writer’s latest book, entitled Only a Goal is RequiredThe writer Jon Acuff takes on this problem of goal setting. The writer explains how we’re consistently distracted by things that may distract us from our goals, whether it’s finding a greater job, or developing a detailed friendship.

“Twitter doesn’t want you to begin a business,” he writes within the book. “TikTok doesn’t want you to run a half-marathon.” His essential point within the book is that goals may also help us reach our full potential, but distractions can derail us. The only tasks will be done faster, more safely, and with less stress. Never say that. As I’m waiting for my kids to return home from school I made myself a particularly difficult goal. I’m going to flip through 100 videos on TikTok over the subsequent 20 minutes. Just carry on dreadscrolling mindlessly.

At the identical time, while we don’t actually say that or think that consciously, lots of us are likely to gravitate toward easier tasks because…they’re easier. Clay Scroggins, the writer of one other book I discussed about how easily we fall for distractions because they’re so powerful.

Acuff quotes my favorite book, ” 4 Thousand WeeksThe section compares social media applications to fit machines. The rationale we carry on using these apps is that they provide a tiny reward with little effort.

In the case of setting goals, productivity experts face a special challenge. Often in life, setting what are called “near goals” is wise. In my productivity book, I cover these near goals. It’s higher to set a goal to hike for a mile because you would possibly accomplish that, versus commencing with a 10-mile hike after which never mountaineering in any respect — the goal is simply too monumental.

The social media has distorted this near-goal concept, which is roofed in the perfect seller. Atomic HabitsAs humans, our tendency is to gravitate towards what makes life easier. When faced with stressful situations we at all times pick a route that avoids conflict.

Acuff makes it clear in his book that one should be deliberate about their goals. They also needs to select the perfect ones and make a concerted effort to measure success. He describes a way that involves goals at different levels.

Curiously, the social media examples he gives don’t ever factor into the equation in reaching your potential (big surprise there!) — they’re at all times mentioned as a option to derail potential.

Goal-setting requires foresight, patience and intentionality. The straightforward tasks, which could seem related to setting goals and achieving potential but are in actual fact a whole waste of time, should be eliminated.