Instead of goals, go for habits.
You have to do the things you make habits of to get to your goals anyway.
You have to do the things you make habits of to get to your goals anyway.
Goals are a desired result.
Habits are deeply ingrained practices that are formed with repetition, and may or may not help you achieve that desired result. Some habits might actually hinder progress.
The only way to know which habits to cultivate (or rely on) is to have a desired result in mind.
Setting goals is important, because it helps clarify what you should spend time on, including the cultivation of habits that will help you achieve the goal. I could invest a lot of myself into the formation of a new (good) habit, but it may not help me achieve my goal.
And goals can also be reached without the formation of habit.
Here are some of his blog posts on it:
https://www.scottadamssays.com/2013/11/18/goals-vs-systems/
https://www.scottadamssays.com/2014/01/21/goals-are-for-lose...
Personally, I don't really think of it as goals and habits being mutually exclusive. Specifically, I wholeheartedly agree with your comment, "The only way to know which habits to cultivate (or rely on) is to have a desired result in mind."
Like Sisyphus, if he had set his mind on getting the boulder to the top of the mountain, he would objectively have lived a failed life. If he focuses instead on the act of each push, then it doesn’t matter if the stone rolls down the hill, his concern is the action, not the outcome.
The method (your habits vs op's) are not what's important. The result should be deep meaningful work for each individual.