While goals are not necessary for activity or even productivity, they provide us with a relative standard against which to measure the effectiveness of our efforts, aiding us in the elusive quest for fulfillment.

FORBES: Don't Be A Slave To Circumstance -- Set Goals

Where am I, relative to some standard?

WSJ: Learning How Your Start-Up Stacks Up

Those elected officials and the parties they represent who best perform relative to the growth standard are most likely to be the winners in the Congressional and Presidential elections that lie ahead.

FORBES: President Obama Challenges The GOP With A Growth Standard

By the standard measure of purchasing-power parity, which reflects currencies' relative buying power, all of South-East Asia's currencies are now undervalued.

ECONOMIST: Asian currencies