You Need a Theme, Not a Goal

What Hacker News said

Strong rec cosmojg · 2021-01 · on “Setting goals for 2021 – A brief guide about personal goal setting”

CGP Grey has an excellent video on this exact kind of goal setting: [LINK] And another on New Year's resolutions more generally: [this video]

Strong rec scrollaway · 2021-12 · on “Happy New Year HN! What are your plans for the new year?”

Happy new year, HN. I'm a huge believer in CGP Grey's thematic year system ( [this video] ) in place of resolutions. After outstanding successes two years in a row with the system (first year with my physical health, second year with my work and finances), I'm doing a "year of relationships" where my focus will be general social and romantic recoveries. Especially since, in the last two years, this is what has suffered the most for many including myself. I posted on Tildes about this, in fact: [LINK]

Strong rec dejawu · 2023-03 · on “Shoshikantetsu”

A similar idea that resonated with me is CGP Grey's suggestion to replace resolutions with themes: [this video] Rather than set a lofty goal you're more likely to give up on (leaving you having accomplished nothing), simply look for ways in which you can do/be better than you were before.

Strong rec surprisetalk · 2023-11 · on “Ask HN: Did you achieve your 2023 goals?”

I'm a huge fan of yearly themes, popularized by CGP Grey! [1] [this video] [2] [LINK] My "year of trailblazing" was incredibly positive. Here's my recap: finally started antidepressants, became a dad, quit booze and cigarettes after ten years of attempts, conquered my internet addiction, started a popularish blog, biked from SF to LA, failed at starting a tech conference, botched a startup launch, read a ton of books, overcame chronic crippling anxiety [3] [LINK]

Strong rec surprisetalk · 2023-12 · on “Tell HN: Choose a Yearly Theme”

You can learn more about yearly themes from this excellent CGP Grey video: [1] [this video] Here's my yearly theme log, which I started mid-2022: [2] [LINK] It's been a great experience!

Recommends JoeDaDude · 2020-06 · on “Starting Many Things”

Learning 12 skills in 12 months seems extreme to me, in particular, because a lot of skills take long to master. Instead, I prefer the "theme of a season" approach as espoused in this CGP Gray video: [this video]

Recommends afarrell · 2021-01 · on “Setting goals for 2021 – A brief guide about personal goal setting”

All of these present problems in different contexts Specific: This assumes that the picture you currently have of what you want is the thing you actually want. Do you want faster horse, a Model T, or swift reliable transportation of a form you've not yet imagined. Measurable: If you only value that which has a number, you'll lose sight of what truly matters in life because of the Streetlight Effect[1]. Consider the ridiculousness of the question "What NPS score would your children give you?" Attainable: There is a limit to the degree to which you can "be sure" of anything, especially without 2020 vision. Relevant: This requires really knowing what your values are so that you can practice the

Recommends mazokum · 2021-12 · on “Happy New Year HN! What are your plans for the new year?”

Happy New Year! I am in the same line as you, I don't have any "new year promises" but I will try to focus on my health: eating better and training more. This is discussed in a video I think is specially relevant today: [this video]