Units and objectives
[This article is part of a series about how to craft an intentional life using ideas and tools from Constantin Stanislavski’s acting system for working on our inner motive forces. Previous article: Given Circumstances ] This chapter describes a tool of intellect that is crucial for us to act intentionally: breaking our goals into simpler objectives and creating units of the actions to accomplish them. It is daunting to face a complex task. Where do you begin? How will you accomplish everything that needs to be achieved? A common problem-solving strategy is decomposition, which involves breaking complex tasks down into smaller problems or steps. This means that you are not facing an overwhelming task, but smaller, more achievable ones. Solving each smaller problem gets you closer to accomplishing the complex task; it chips away at the task to make it less overwhelming. Units We begin by defining units. Units are about action and progress. The simplest way to define a unit is that it is...