Beware the moderately appealing goals

Just a quick reminder this week: Beware the “moderately appealing” goals.

I got the term “moderately appealing” from Oliver Burkeman’s lovely book about time and productivity, Four Thousand Weeks. One of the biggest barriers to feeling fulfilled by our “finite lives”, Burkeman argues, is these “moderately appealing” goals:

The work opportunity that seems fairly interesting or financially attractive, but would take quite a bit more work.

The friendship that is pleasant, in a lot of ways. But not a hell yes.

The hobby that is fun, but not one of the most important things in your life.  

I find that many of my clients have too many “moderately appealing” priorities — things they do care about, but which aren’t actually their top priorities.

In trying to do both the “moderately appealing” and the really-truly-high-priority things, they never have enough energy or time to give the really-truly-high-priorities what they really-truly-need.

(Or they are constantly exhausted, stressed, and hurried. Which does not lead to fulfillment, either.)

…

So I will ask: Is your finite life getting weighed down by too many “moderately appealing” goals?

As always, I’m rooting for you. You’ve got this.

Katie