One of the most common mistakes we make when setting goals is choosing the wrong size of goals to pursue.
If we choose a goal that’s too small, it will lack the emotional juice needed to motivate us to stick with it and see it through to completion. But, if we choose a goal that’s too large, it can overwhelm us, and leave us feeling more defeated than motivated.
It’s kind of like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears – you need a goal that’s just right for you.
In his book, “Your Best Year Ever,” Michael Hyatt talks about three possible zones our goals might fit into:
- The Comfort Zone
- The Discomfort Zone
- The Delusional Zone
He explains the key is to set goals that are just outside of your comfort zone, but not so big they cross over into the delusional zone.
When we set a goal that’s somewhere in the Discomfort Zone, it has enough emotional juice to motivate us, but is not so intimidating it paralyzes us.
My friend, Nissar, follows the 50% rule when it comes to goal setting:
If you think there’s a 100% chance you will achieve your goal, it’s too small. It’s not a goal, it’s a task.
If you think there’s a 0% chance you will achieve your goal, it’s too big. It’s unrealistic and it will demoralize you more than motivate you.
The sweet-spot for goal setting is somewhere around 50% -80% certainty.
Our goals should push us to change and grow. They should force us to learn new skills, adopt new behaviours, and seek new ways of doing things.
A good goal is one that makes you nervous and excited at the same time. That’s a good sign you’re in that sweet spot.
“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it.” – Jim Rohn