Counterpoint: Expectations are More Powerful Than Goals
If you have a problem reaching a reoccurring goal you set for yourself year after year, chances are your problem is not with the goal. Instead, your problem is likely with the expectations you have of yourself. You get a reward for achieving a goal. Conversely, you get nothing for meeting expectations.
Think about it, why get a reward for doing something you expect yourself to do? However, herein lies the problem.
If you set a goal to eat healthy, this means your mindset is that there is no expectation to eat healthy. Therefore, you can reward yourself for eating healthy by eating something unhealthy, can’t you? You can, but that would be counterproductive. Yet, this is exactly what many people do.
While you may think that example is basic, that’s the point. Basic goals are the goals that give people the most problems. Being smart with money, managing time wisely, exercising, eating healthy, being happy…Things like this should not be part of your goals, these should be expectations.
As soon as you make something that should be an expectation a goal, you begin programming your mind to think the work you must do is temporary. What’s more, once you achieve the goal for some measurement of time what happens? You get your reward and stop doing the difficult work to maintain that goal. On the other hand, expectations have no moment of achievement. Expectations are a way of life.
So, if you want permanent change don’t set a goal. Unquestionably, it will be your expectations that dictate success.