You have been selected as the Software Systems Engineer for the National Cyber D
ID: 3583265 • Letter: Y
Question
You have been selected as the Software Systems Engineer for the National Cyber Defense Program, where you will be protecting everyone in the U.S. from evildoers foreign and domestic. Your mission goals are: a) don't break the Internet, information has to flow at about the same speed it does now, b) preserve civil rights by not recording anything that's going on that's not evil, and c) solve the whole problem, leaving no packet of evil unscathed. Your predecessor had the notion that a big computer in AZ, about the size of Phoenix, would be a good solution; right up until he was yanked off the job and assigned to Cohort {n+1}. Now, computer systems will be deployed across the nation at every company and ISP to sort through Internet traffic in real-time and purge packets that contain evil. You need to explain to the President how distributed processing can contribute to the accomplishment of each of the three mission goals, in 4 sentences or less because he's busy. What would be the most difficult goal to accomplish, and why.
Explanation / Answer
Answer :
You have been selected as the Software Systems Engineer for the National Cyber Defense Program, where you will be protecting everyone in the U.S. from evildoers foreign and domestic. Your mission goals are: a) don't break the Internet, information has to flow at about the same speed it does now, b) preserve civil rights by not recording anything that's going on that's not evil, and c) solve the whole problem, leaving no packet of evil unscathed. Your predecessor had the notion that a big computer in AZ, about the size of Phoenix, would be a good solution; right up until he was yanked off the job and assigned to Cohort {n+1}. Now, computer systems will be deployed across the nation at every company and ISP to sort through Internet traffic in real-time and purge packets that contain evil. You need to explain to the President how distributed processing can contribute to the accomplishment of each of the three mission goals, in 4 sentences or less because he's busy. What would be the most difficult goal to accomplish, and why.
Answer :
1. Lack of Commitment
Setting a goal does not mean that you have committed mentally to accomplishing this goal. In fact, some would say commitment begins when you start acting, so just thinking about it might not be good enough.
Instead do some research, if necessary, and start thinking about the tasks that you need to accomplish in order to achieve your goal. Your daily life is busy, I totally understand! Because of everything that you cram into your day, between work, family and social life, it is easy for certain goals to get pushed to the wayside. And while it’s virtually impossible to say this isn’t going to happen, being aware of this happening is the first step in committing to achieving your goal. Try setting aside a few hours a week to work towards a particular goal and before you know it you’ll be halfway there and fully committed.
2. It’s Just a Fantasy
All goals begin with a dream, but it needs to be more than this in order for you to think of it as a goal you are going to achieve.
When our brain thinks about goals we often focus on the positive, the fantasy, or we dwell on the negative, all the things that can go wrong and everything that you hate about your current situation.
Instead of focusing on one or other, try comparing the two in your mind. First, think of the positive aspect you hope to achieve, than compare it to the negative aspect or the reality. This type of cognitive dissonance will give the brain a reality check and force you to think about whether or not your goal can be achieved. Once you get past this critical step you can effectively start thinking about ways that you can make these changes happen.
3. Focusing too Heavily on the Result
It’s easier to think about the result, but it also can increase your anxiety level about actually accomplishing the goal. If you are just thinking about the result it can be difficult to imagine the goal being achieved because you aren’t seeing the steps needed to do this.
Instead stay task focused. Think about the process, break it down into tasks and look at those tasks as mini-goals. Not only will it reduce your anxiety levels, but it will also allow you to focus the necessary attention on the process.
4. Procrastination
I hate this word because it’s so easy to say you are procrastinating or that you are not going to procrastinate when the real question is why are we procrastinating in the first place?
So here’s a broad, scientific answer: when your brain thinks about a goal it focuses on the worst aspects of achieving this goal.
And how do we alter this way of thinking? Russian psychologist, Bluma Zeigarrik, revealed the brain was two times as likely to recall a task that was partially finished than a task that had not been started or was completed. This means that just starting a task, even though it may not be something we can complete right away, is a positive step towards finishing it. It may even shift the way your brain thinks and force you to realize it’s not as bad as you thought it was going to be.
5. Retaining Goals You Are So Over!
I know you have always been taught never to give up or that you should finish what you started. While that might be true in some cases it’s not the case in every situation. You're human; you lose interest in things and gain interest in new things. It’s perfectly okay to change your mind or realize something isn’t for you after all.
Reevaluate your goals often to make sure they are still things that you want. If they’re not, stop working towards them. After all, I’m sure you have a laundry list of other goals that you can devote your time to, so why keep focusing on old goals you are no longer interested in.
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