Goals That Work
Setting goals you can measure, personal OKRs, reviews and adjusting course.
Goal-Setting Theory: What Locke and Latham's Research Found
What decades of goal-setting research by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham found about specific, hard goals, commitment and feedback, plus the side effects to watch for.
Read · 6 min read →Goals That WorkLearning Goals vs. Performance Goals: When to Use Each
Why a hard performance target can backfire on a new, complex skill, how learning goals differ, and how to choose and sequence the two for your own goals.
Read · 6 min read →Goals That WorkIf-Then Plans: How Implementation Intentions Help You Follow Through
What Peter Gollwitzer's research on implementation intentions found, why if-then plans help you start and stay on track, and how to write ones that work.
Read · 5 min read →Goals That WorkPersonal OKRs: Objectives and Key Results for Your Own Goals
How to adapt Objectives and Key Results to personal goals: writing objectives, measurable key results, committed vs. aspirational goals, grading and quarterly check-ins.
Read · 5 min read →Goals That WorkThe Weekly Review: A Short Routine That Keeps Goals on Track
How to run a weekly review that keeps personal goals alive: the research on progress monitoring, the GTD Weekly Review steps, and a step-by-step template.
Read · 5 min read →Goals That WorkWhen to Change or Quit a Goal: Adjusting Without Guilt
How to decide whether to keep, adjust, scale back or let go of a goal, drawing on research on goal disengagement and reengagement, with practical review questions.
Read · 6 min read →