Daily Productive Sharing 1262 - Don't Chase Goals, But Limits
One helpful tip per day:)
Joan Westenberg believes there’s nothing inherently wrong with goals—only that the world slips them into our hands, measuring progress by “forward speed” rather than “inward depth.”
- She no longer asks herself where she wants to go; instead, she asks what she absolutely refuses to compromise on to get there. Things are harder this way, but the direction is clearer.
- Many truly innovative people don’t set explicit goals; she noticed they choose to act within constraints.
- Constraints are the rules of the game—but not every game is worth playing.
- Constraints don’t stifle creativity; they channel it. A sonnet’s strict form can feel maddening, yet those limits produce great art.
- Goals focus attention on visible gaps, but what really matters are the unseen constraints—they reveal what’s truly worth caring about.
- Smart people often fall into a trap: the smarter they are, the prettier their plans look on paper. But a plan is only a script, while reality is closer to improvisation.
- Constraints adapt more easily to change because they don’t assume you know all the answers at the start. They adjust as feedback arrives.
- John Boyd once posed a profound question: Do you want to be someone, or do you want to do something? Goals often stem from the first desire; constraints arise from the second choice.
If you enjoy today's sharing, why not subscribe
Need a superb CV, please try our CV Consultation
Joan Westenberg 认为目标本身并没有错，只是它是这个世界悄悄递给我们的 -- 这个世界习惯用“向前的速度”去衡量进步，而不是“向内的深度”。
- 她不再问自己想去哪里，而是开始问：为了到达那里，她绝不愿意违背什么。结果是，事情确实更难了，但方向却清晰了。
- 很多真正做出创新的人，其实并不设定明确的目标，她发现这些人选择在各种约束中行动。
- 约束是这场游戏的规则，但并不是所有游戏都值得去玩。
- 约束不会扼杀创造力，它反而会引导创造力的方向。就像十四行诗的格式，看似令人抓狂，但正因为限制，反而成就了伟大作品。
- 目标常让人把注意力集中在那些看得见的缺口上，但真正重要的，是那些看不见的约束，它们才真正告诉我们什么值得在乎。
- 聪明人最容易陷进去的地方在于 -- 越聪明，他们写出来的计划纸面上就越漂亮。但计划只是剧本，而现实更像即兴表演。
- 约束更容易适应变化，因为它不假定一开始就必须知道所有答案。约束会随着反馈灵活调整。
- 约翰·博伊德曾问过一个影响深远的问题：你是想“成为某种人”，还是想“做成某件事”？目标往往源自前者的渴望，而约束则出自后者的选择。
如果你喜欢的话，不妨直接订阅这份电子报 ⬇️