Goal Setting for Dum Dums
When it comes to setting goals, I'm a little maniacal. I swear I could turn goal setting into a competitive sport. The process of setting goals is just another technique I use to keep my life and focus going in the right direction. And let's be honest, even the most disciplined over-achiever will struggle somewhere along the way. So why not have a tip or two in your pocket to get you to the tipping point? (I dare you to say that ten times).
GOAL SETTING FOR DUM DUMS
I'll never understand why more people don't set goals. To me, goal setting is the equivalent of "The Dummy's Guide To Getting Whatever The Hell You Want". It's so powerful and so freakishly easy that anyone can use it as their #1 strategy to reaching new heights.
If you google the words "goal setting" you'll find a list of resources that could fill the New York City Library. Many of these bounce down the strategy into three, five, ten or so steps. So what's my recommendation for you to reach the tipping point of goal setting?
Go big or go home!
FREAK YOURSELF OUT
I get this question all the time: "How big should I make a goal?". You'll get a variety of responses to this question, but my response is always the same -- choose a goal so big it makes even you uncomfortable. SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goals disagree with this mindset; however, there's plenty of research to support the higher success rate of "larger than life" goals.
Google[x] director Astro Teller once said: "It’s easier to make something 10x bigger than 10 percent." It’s by definition counterintuitive, Teller says. But, he insists that with higher goals, "You can get to radically better solutions in honestly about the same amount of time." Studies indicate that the reason for this apparent paradox are both psychological and practical.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
In a nutshell, aiming higher pushes us to do better. "High goals lead to greater effort than low goals," researchers Edwin Locke and Gary Latham write. "Tight deadlines lead to a more rapid work pace . . . [and lead to] the arousal, discovery, and/or use of task-relevant knowledge and strategies."
There you have it-- Dream big. Aim high. Repeat. And yes, it really is that easy. So stop overthinking and overcomplicating the process. Goal setting should be fun and something you eventually look forward to doing daily.
