Acceptable Goal Setting.
It has been preached to us that SMART goals are the way to
go when it comes to setting goals. This has been the default approach for a
long time. I have used it myself all the time I am setting goals. It is a very
effective approach and some of what I am going to discuss here will still
capture elements of the acronym. Let me get a few things out of the way first
before I delve deeper into the discussion.
There is no changing the fact that goals must be specific.
If they are not specific then they do not mean anything. They are just
statements of intent. Goals must also be measurable meaning they must be
quantifiable in terms of size and magnitude. I am also persuaded that goals
need to be achieved within a particular set timeframe lest they become wish
lists or someday items. I have a problem with attainable and realistic because
they are limiting words. Goals need to stretch and scare you. Attainable and
realistic mean if you stretch just a little bit you will be there. That does
not excite me at all.
Winner’s Goal Setting.
How does Grant Cardone approach his goal setting? In his
book ‘The 10X Rule', he suggests setting goals 10times bigger than you normally
do and be willing to do 10 times than you do. According to him, we set our
goals too low and put in too little effort and end up disappointed.
Goals need to excite us and pump up our blood. They need to
scare us when we think about them and achieving them. It is when we are looking
for average results and an average life that we set attainable and realistic
goals. We tend to dabble in attainable and realistic because we want to fly
under the radar. When you start talking big, there is no way you will fly under
the radar. Everyone will be watching you. Some will even take it upon
themselves to keep you accountable. The mockery you will receive from others
will drive you even more. If your goals do not scare your peers, be prepared
never to rise above them.
Attainable and realistic goals guarantee that you will live
beneath your potential. 95 percent of us live beneath what we are capable of.
It is a case of poor stewardship of our abilities and if you are religious I
bet it is sinful. Why would any of us want to live beneath our capabilities?
The exciting way to do it is to set big goals. There is a need
for a shift in mindset from us so that setting big, scary goals becomes the
norm. There are many reasons for this. What we think we need turns out never to
be enough courtesy of the many variables that come about. When this happens,
only those who had outsized goals will weather the storm. Big goals provide
enough motivation for you. They inevitably make you realize that you have to
step up your activity levels. Big goals hold our attention. When they are small
or attainable with little effort, we tend to lose focus and drift into other
more exciting things. The bigger and more unrealistic goals are and the more
aligned they are to your purpose, the more they’ll energize and fuel your
actions according to Grant Cardone.
If you must follow the examples of others, then be careful
about those you choose to follow. You have a responsibility to set your goals
against the benchmark of those who have achieved massive success. This way the
goal is so scary you are almost sure you won’t attain it. Anytime you think
your goal is easily within reach, the goal is not big enough.
As you do it, realize you have been raised, educated and
conditioned by restrictions. You are more conscious of what you can’t do than
what you can do. From our parents to our teachers, we have been taught to
think in terms of limits, to be real. Whenever we looked like going too far out
of line, we were punished and brought back into the fold. We have been taught
moderation which isn’t a bad thing but still comes as a limiting mindset. It is
possible even your environment at work tells you to play it cool. Maybe they
sneer at the very idea of ambition. With a history of limited thinking, your
default approach is ‘I need to be realistic.’ This means that a lot of times we
are capable of so much more. Keep this in mind as you set your own goals so
that you are challenged to target higher.
Advantages of Unrealistic Goals
They help us exploit our potential more often than not.
Using up our potential is often a hit and miss kind of thing. One of the surest
ways to improve our odds is to set unrealistic goals and commit to massive
action to realize them.
They also have a greater reward. If I achieve 30 percent of
a small goal and 30 percent of a big goal in the same area, the results and
rewards are surprisingly different.
Big goals motivate. We need to be in pursuit of big things
to remain focused throughout the journey.
They also cushion you from inevitable shocks. When you
achieve massive success, you stand a better chance of conquering shocks that
come your way from whatever quarters.
What will you do with your current goals? Are they big
enough? Do they need a fresh look? What about your team’s goals? What is your
takeaway from this post? Share in the comments below.
If you need someone to walk you through setting and tracking
your goals going forward, feel free to DM me or comment below.
A happy New Week. Share Widely.
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