Goal Setting: The Risk Versus Reward

Why should you set goals?

In a world where it seems like everyone has ADHD, I feel estranged being the exact opposite of that. Being hyper-focused makes it almost impossible for me to function without setting goals. Now, I understand that not everyone is like me and that people go about achieving their goals in different ways. However, I feel goal setting has a value everyone can and should cash in on. 

• It allows you to consider what really matters.
  • Clarity is a priceless commodity. Often times in life we fail not because of a lack of ability but because a lack of purpose. Let's just be honest, most of us don't really know exactly what we want to do. We live lives with so many possibilities and opportunities, it is tough to nail down one single thing. We like to take broad strokes that allow for other opportunities in our life. That is why there is a "maybe" option when replying to a Facebook event. There is something so freeing about writing a goal down; it implies an investment, hard work, and sacrifice with the hope of a pay off. I guarantee the moment you write that goal down, you will know if it is something that matters to you or not.
• It gives you a clear direction to head towards.
  • Knowing where you are going is just as important as how you are going to get there. Have you ever watched a child sweep or mop? They work really hard, but fail to focus on the end goal. They may end up cleaning the same spot 10 times because they are working without direction. The same goes for anything you want to do in your life. If you fail to set a specific goal you will be working harder with less results. 
• It grants you the ability to measure progress.
  • Humans crave affirmation. We need to know we did a "good job." We need to know that the time we spent was worthwhile. Just look at an advertisement for a weight-loss supplement, workout, or diet: "I lost 30 pounds in 30 days." The endorphin rush someone feels when they step on the scale and see they've lost 30 pounds after 30 days of work. It affirms for them that their time and energy were well spent. Setting goals may not always have as tangible of a measurement, but it gives you a litmus test that let's you see that you succeeded in one way or another. 
• It makes you push your threshold of possibility.
  • I believe most limits are self imposed. That is a lengthy conversation in itself, but suffice it to say that what we think we can do rarely coincides with what we actually can do. What is the point of trying to achieve something you know you can do? There is a cliche expression that goes something like, "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars." However, I am much more keen on the expression, "Go big or go home." You never really know what you are capable of until you fail 100, 1000, or a million times. 
• It forces you to go out on a limb.
  • Without the possibility of failure, the victory of success is meaningless. I have forced myself over the years to always make sure that I follow through on my promises. If I say I will do something, I will. This is a great practice when goal setting. Set your goal that you are unsure of, and tell yourself you will accomplish it. Don't let the fear of failure dictate what you attempt to do.

How should you set goals?

So, now that I have convinced you beyond reasonable doubt that setting goals is important, let's talk about how to actually set those goals. Remember that goal setting is not just for running. I use goal setting in every aspect of my life. I normally try to focus on just a few goals at a time though. I divide the categories for goals into Personal, Professional, Relationship, and Family. In my opinion there are two successful ways to set goals: 1. Set a goal Hierarchy. 2. Set a singular specific goal. I'll unpack what each of these means and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Set a goal hierarchy

This type of goal setting is usually best for a big event where there will be a watershed moment. It is also a way to set goals that leaves you encouraged for the future. In essence, you set multiple goals all of varying difficulty that fall into one bigger goal or task. These goals are ranked in order of importance and achievability. For example, when I was preparing to run a 50 mile race, one of my friends asked me what my hierarchy would be. We came to a conclusion that at the top would be to win the 50 mile race, next would be to finish, then to run my first marathon during the race, then to complete a PR distance. The goal at the top should be fairly out of reach, the center goal should be one you would be very pleased if you accomplished, and the one on the bottom should be the bare minimum to not be considered a total failure. I believe this is a great goal setting technique for two reasons: 1. To avoid disappointing yourself. 2. It is a good way to gain momentum. Because let's be honest, we are our biggest critics and success breeds success. Think about the watershed moment you have coming up it could be a big project at work, a first date, an important race, a traveling experience, or even starting your own business. Make a goal that is border line ridiculous, that will be your top extreme, then make a goal that is just shy of disappointment, that will be your bottom extreme. Think of one or two or three more goals that you would like to accomplish that fall in-between those two and BOOM! You have your goal hierarchy. There is a drawback to goal hierarchy though. It creates an "out." It gives you an option that is lesser than what you truly want to accomplish but still labels it as a success. Imagine how easily it could have been during my 50 mile race to achieve a PR distance and complete my first marathon and tell myself, "Wow Josh! You already did so much, you don't really have to finish." However, I would still recommend this type of goal setting if you are just beginning. It is a phenomenal way to gain momentum, and honestly, momentum is everything when trying to achieve a goal.

Set a singular specific goal

This type of goal setting is meant for the person who wants to live by "go big or go home." This is goal setting for those who walk into the casino and put it all on black. It is a great way to accomplish an incredibly difficult task. It demands a slight amount of obsession. Basically, the goal that originally pops into your head when you are presented with the watershed event is the goal you want to write down. Put it on paper, write in on your mirror, set a reminder in your phone that displays it every day, tell your friends about it, create for yourself such a heavy amount of accountability that the only option is to succeed. Some of you are probably already developing a nervous sweat thinking about this. When I ran Cross Country (XC) in college for the first time, I was on a team with some incredible guys. Our team was a lot of heart and not a ton of skill besides our number 1 and number 2 runner. For those of you who don't know how XC works check this out really quick. We found our goal and it was to win our conference championship (something my school had never done), but there was another team that had some seriously talented athletes. We raced them once early in the season, and they ended up beating us pretty good. So, the obsession began. We learned their names, their times, how they ran, and what place they normally scored on the team. We pushed ourselves every day, every workout. It came time for the conference meet where we would run against them. It was nearly a head to head race, for perspective between our two teams we had 10 of the top 12. After the race there is this big banquet. People usually wore athletic clothes to the banquet but this year there was a dress code, something like khakis and a polo for guys and the equivalent for ladies. Being the oldest guy on the team, everyone started asking me what to wear or what to bring. So I held a team meeting at my house. I told everyone to dress to the 9s, I mean dress pants, blazers, ties, dress shoes, everything. One of the guys spoke up after I said that, he said, "What if we lose, we'll look like a bunch of idiots." I told him, "if you plan on failure, you allow it to be an option. Not one of you better bring a back-up outfit." Sure enough we brought our fancy clothes, we cinched the victory by a narrow margin of 2 points, and looked dang good at the awards ceremony. 

Those socks though

It was a huge risk, but it worked out. There is not greater feeling than risking it all and succeeding. It requires a steel resolve and unwavering faith. However, it doesn't always work like that. There will be a great amount of times that you put it all on the line and you fail. It is going to hurt, you'll feel stupid, you'll likely go into hiding for days, your face will be permanently 2 shades more red. Trust me it happens, but each time the failure happens it leaves motivation for you to never let it happen again. There is also one more drawback to this method. When you finish the goal, whether it be success or failure, you will have a void. All that time you spent obsessing and visualizing turns hollow. Your immune system will crash from the anticipation and you will likely feel mildly depressed (even if you succeed). It is important that once your goal is over, to not linger on it too long. Set another goal, preferably one in a different area of your life or even a goal to recover/relax. This gives you a continued purpose and also allows you time to recharge. I know this might sound kind of overwhelming, but man oh man, every time you think of the moment of accomplishment you will be hit with a little boost of energy, confidence, and happiness. That accomplishment doesn't fade easily. 

Momentum and Humility

All of my friends reading this are for sure laughing at the idea of me writing on humility, but I'll get to that in a minute. Goals are entirely reliant on momentum. Just as a quick example, watch basketball, if a guy sinks a few three pointers in a row, the announcer will say something along the lines of, "he's heating up" or "he's on fire." Once you get momentum, it is hard to be stopped. The goals that were previously outlandish seem not so farfetched. The ideas that you said, "yeah maybe 'x' amount of years down the road I might do that" become a possibility in the now. I know all the drawbacks, negative aspects, and possibilities of failure sound intimidating, but in all reality once you gain momentum that isn't what you're worried about at all. You no longer become scared of what you might not be able to do; instead you are scared of what you are capable of doing. In all this I can't stress the importance of humility (And everyone laughs). Seriously, don't go broadcast your accomplishments to the world. Try to only discuss your successes with your core group of friends because they know your heart. Simultaneously, don't be so humble that you're a liar. If you are incredible at bowling and someone asks you if you are good a bowling, tell them the truth. I talk about humility because if you lose that aspect your successes no longer inspire people to be better, they just make people dislike you. Which will prove to make achieving goals in the future a lot more difficult. Because it is always easier to achieve a goal when people stand behind you. Every major goal I have accomplished in my life is propped up by a group of selfless friends and family. They want me to be better and I want the same for them. 

So...

Seriously, what are you still doing here reading. Pick one of the two methods and start setting some goals. Start small and work your way to big, gaining momentum the entire way, and adding to yourself a group of people who want you to succeed. Be ruthless, be relentless, and don't let failure be an obstacle. 

Sincerely,

Josh Moore (Coach)