There are a lot of goals in life. Big goals are made up of smaller goals. For example:
Level 1 Goal: get better at writing
Level 2 Goal: learn how to simplify your writing
Level 2 Goal: improve your grammar
Level 2 Goal: learn the skill of story telling
Level 3 Goal: improve pacing of stories
Level 3 Goal: learn how to keep the reader engaged
Level 4 Goal: learn how to write in vivid language
Level 4 Goal: learn how to write sentences that flow better
Level 3 Goal: learn how to write realistic dialogue
Level 2 Goal: practice writing daily
What counts as a “Level 1” or “Level 3 goal” is somewhat arbitrary. The point is that goals can be broken up into smaller goals.
So what’s the biggest goal possible? The one that is made up of all the other goals? It’s something I call the meta-goal.
The meta-goal is to rearrange atoms into more favorable states.
Put another way, you should work to substitute better situations in place of worse ones. This is the core motivation behind all of human action. To go from less desirable states to more desirable states.
This can be viewed as the “Level 0” goal. Once you consciously accept the meta-goal as something you want to work towards, your next step is to think of sub-goals that will improve your life. These are the “Level 1” goals which can then be broken up into smaller and smaller goals as you see fit.