Are your goals “too achievable”?

Are your goals “too achievable”?
Darrell Velegol, PhD
2023aug17

Goals tell us Who-What-Why-Where-When-How we’ll get from a starting position (X) to a vision (Y) at a Time (T). The Goal or Vision is the “preferred future picture” of what things will look like. The Time (T) must be stated, so that we know we’re making adequate progress in a reasonable time. Implicit in most goals is a probability (p) of actually achieving the goal. 

I might be tempted to choose a goal that I can “100% achieve”. But that is going to be sub-optimal. If you choose a goal that can be achieved with 100% certainty (p = 1.00), then you have to back off on the scope and impact of the goal. HOWEVER, If you are willing to back off to p = 0.90 or p = 0.80, you can include a much bigger scope and impact! Yes you might not achieve your goal -- there would be a 10% or 20% chance you would fall short -- but played over many years and goals, your impact is going to be magnified much more by betting with a larger scope, and a slightly lower probability. You’ll have a higher Return on Investment, a higher customer satisfaction, and a greater influence on the people you care about.

Don’t play it too safe when choosing goals! A competitor is more likely to creep up from behind and take your lunch if you play it too safe!