Big Picture vs Small Picture, The Rule of Inversion, The Importance of Clarity

Big Picture vs Small Picture

A Thought

To achieve any major goal, you must balance what you want in the long term versus what you must do in the short term.

Any worthwhile goal requires consistently aligning where you want to go with what you need to do.

A Truth

One of the most important alignments you can make is between patience and persistence. Be patient enough to understand that things don't happen overnight. Be persistent enough to keep going until you see progress.

“Think in decades and act in days.” - Matt Grisworld

An Action

Where do I want to end up? What must I do consistently to end up there?

The Rule of Inversion

A Thought

Sometimes it is hard to visualize what you want, so you must instead visualize what you do not want.

This is the rule of inversion: Instead of asking, "How can I be a good friend?", instead ask yourself, "How can I be a bad friend?" By doing the opposite of what a bad friend would do, you then become a good friend.

The same thinking can be applied to larger life goals. I may not know where I want to be in ten years, five years or one year; but I am sure of where I do not want to be in ten years, five years or one year from now.

A Truth

Motivation is a two-way street. In the same way, you can be motivated to become something, you can also be motivated not to become something.

Instead of striving to be wise, strive to not be foolish and then you will become wise.

An Action

Where do I not want to be by the end of this year? What small actions can I start taking?

The Importance of Clarity

A Thought

One of the hardest things is not knowing what to do, but knowing where you are going.

It isn't enough to set a direction at the beginning of the year and not review it as time goes by. It is vital to consistently check where you are going so you don't end up where you do not want to be.

A Truth

Unchecked goals are as good as unset goals.

An Action

How often do I check where I am going? How can I start checking my goals more often?

2 Comments

Martin Oluoch

Jan 12, 2024

Do you think the rule of inversion creates a much bigger spectrum to consider which may lead to more confusion in the end?

Off the top of my head there's like 10 places I don't want to be but 1 place I want to be be

jakemugambi

Replying to

Good question. I would say the rule of inversion provides more clarity in knowing what you currently need to do, which is the main context of the idea. In the case that you are not sure of what you want, you can often consider what you don't want.

Example: I may not have current financial goals, but I know I don't want to be financially irresponsible. What does a financially irresponsible person do? They fail to save. So, I will plan to save X amount of my income because a financially responsible person saves.

Now, you have created a goal, not by knowing what you want, but by knowing what you don't want.

Most importantly, the rule of inversion is…