Have clear goals.

Clarify the outcome or question that should guide an effort, along with relevant constraints and priorities. A goal should be understandable enough to support action and review, while remaining open to revision when circumstances or values change.

A clear goal makes the intended difference understandable enough to guide action and review. That may involve a quantity, a concrete demonstration, a qualitative standard, or an exploratory question. Clarity means knowing what the activity is for and which tradeoffs matter; it does not mean forcing every worthwhile result into a single numerical target.

Goals can conflict, change, or reveal that the original plan was mistaken. Name relevant constraints and review points along with the desired outcome. A small set of priorities can help allocate effort, but there is no universal correct number. When the situation is poorly understood, an initial goal may be to learn enough to choose a better one.

When to use it

When effort is scattered, people interpret success differently, or choosing the next action depends on understanding what matters.

How it can help

Helps distinguish an intended result from an activity or metric and makes competing aims easier to discuss.