Counterpoint: Boring Goals are Better than Fun Goals
Setting goals can be fun. Sometimes too fun. Thinking and dreaming big feels amazing.
For example, take a second and think about the things you would do if you won a multi-million dollar lottery. Just thinking about being free to do whatever you want with a million dollars provides a joyful adrenaline rush.
This type of daydreaming is both fun and addictive. Too often, many people set goals with this type of hit the lottery dreaming. Goals like becoming an olympian, or getting drafted into a pro league are typical for young athletes.
While these goals are fun to have, they should not be the basis for a good goal setting plan. Instead, boring goals that are not fun to dream about are the type of goals that must be the foundation.
The type of boring goals I’m specifically referring to are process oriented goals.
Focus on Process Goals Not Outcome Goals
Process goals are those routines and habits one needs to achieve a fun goal. So it’s not that you don’t need those fun goals like winning a state title for example. You do need these fun goals to serve as your compass. However, once your compass is set the method and means to get to the destination becomes the most important part of the journey.
Good process goals have the following three characteristics:
- Repeatable: a process you can do as a routine either daily, weekly, or something in between
- Measurable: a process that you can track with precise numbers that lead to a visual representation of progress over time.
- Systematic: a process that is intertwined into an overall system of proven processes that create synergy.