How Do We Choose Our Goals

Once we understand that every goal has its cost, we need to understand how to better set goals. We often decide what we want to pursue only based on the rewards and benefits. This is natural; however, a good way to commit to something long term is to consider the pain and the cost of that goal.

These are important questions to consider:

• How much are we willing to suffer for our goal?
• What type of pain are we willing to endure to achieve it?
• What are the types of problems we willing to overcome on a daily basis?

So, for example, if we want to become programmers, we need to understand what that day-to-day life would be like.

We might realize that we don't want to spend endless hours troubleshooting code. That means that when the going gets tough (as it always does), are we able to overcome it? Do we find it tedious and mind-numbing, or is it challenging and exciting?

Instead, if we want to become athletes, is the pain of physical training something we are willing to endure on a day-to-day basis? For some of us, this could feel more endurable than fixing code.

This is why it's important to analyze the pain that comes with the job, instead of only focusing on the rewards. This way, we can truly commit to the long-term implications of sticking with it.