Warren Buffett’s Simple Goal Setting Method

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” – John Maxwell

After the two-part love bomb we dropped on Tuesday and Wednesday, I thought we’d keep it a bit lighter today.

Enter a powerful little goal-setting method from Warren Buffett.

As the story goes, Warren was boarding his private jet one day when his pilot stopped him to ask:

(and I’m paraphrasing here)

“Warren, you’re worth 100 billion. You own ~65 world-class companies. You’ve been in the zone for six decades straight. What goal setting / productivity / success / life advice would you give someone like me?”

Here’s what Warren told him:

1. Write down your top 25 goals.

2. Choose the 5 that matter most to you.

3. Cross off the other 20, and vow to never think about them again.

4. Then, get to work on the 5 that matter.

And I concur.

If there is a master key to productivity and goal achievement, it’s this:

Ruthless, single-pointed focus on what really matters.

The good news is, very few things really matter.

The less-good news is, we can rarely tell what matters from what doesn’t.

So take Warren’s advice, and spend a little upfront time thinking about what you really want to accomplish in your life.

(my advice: actually sit down with a pen and paper and do it this weekend)

It might just save you a lifetime of wasted effort.

– T

P.S. My five:

1. The Maui Retreat

2. Successful, life-long romantic partnership

3. Mastery of my craft in the healing arts

4. Mastery of my craft in teaching inner development

5. Awakening  

Hit me back with yours.

Taylor Allan Avatar