We don’t hesitate to tell our kids to reach for the stars: “The world is yours, you can make and do and become anything you want.” So how come when it comes to our own “grown up” aspirations, we extinguish the stars and instead set limitations?
I’ve written before about SMART Goals and how their realistic and achievable nature establishes a dead end to greatness before anyone even sets out to make them happen. But it seems there’s no time quite like the New Year to observe just how weak most people’s goal setting strategies really are.
“Don’t set yourself up for a “no-win” situation,” every magazine article on making resolutions that stick seems to warn. “The best way to avoid disappointment is to set goals you can attain.” But are we really doing ourselves (or our waistlines) a favor by ditching a vow to “lose 50 lbs” for a softer, more achievable goal?
There are scientific studies that prove there’s a positive linear relationship between the difficulty of a task and the level of performance we give to that task. We even did our own study to back it up and conclusively found, if you give most folks a HARD goal, something that pushes them to be more than they thought they could be; they are going to give their all to achieving it. And while they are at it, they’ll feel more positive about themselves, their work, and the person who assigned the goal.
The explanation is easy: HARD goals instill confidence. They send a message that says, “I know this is hard and that’s exactly why I’m assigning it to you. I believe in you; I know you can do this.” And that message works whether the goal comes from an outside source, like a boss, or is self assigned.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Anyone can create an impossible goal that’s a guaranteed demotivator. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about pushing past realistic and achievable and facing the fear of goals that loom with some uncertainty. To dare to do something that tests your limits and expands your skills— and pushes you to achieve something truly remarkable.
So go ahead, start 2010 out right and reach for the stars. Set a HARD Goal; one that’s a little scary and that makes you question your capabilities. You’ll know you’re on the right track if you start to sweat a bit, and even better if you feel a roll of anxiety. Challenges are good; they’re what build character and make us better, stronger and wiser: something more than we were before.
