Minimalism’s logical extension: Break free from goals
I respect Leo, he is one of the people I trust and go to for ideas on minimalism and productivity. But, here I disagree with him. I believe he takes the idea of minimalism too far when he suggests that there is no need for goals.
Leo argues that when working toward goals “you aren’t working because you love it, you’re working because you’ve set goals.” Wow. That’s a punch in the face to me. For me, goals are not set for things that I have to do and don’t want to do. Goals are things I want to accomplish.
I will give him this, some people have goals for their work day that are not directly related to what they want to do. If that’s the case, they should have goals to move toward what they want to do. Goals and action items attached to goals give people the sense of accomplishment that they want and need.
When I complete a goal I feel as thought I am working toward my goal of minimalism. On the flip side of that, if I don’t make goals and accomplish things, I am not making progress, I am just “spinning my wheels.”
Leo is a great guy, a smart guy I rely on for advice - but this piece of advice I wholeheartedly disagree with. Goals offer you the opportunity to become more minimalist.