Should you set your goals high, or a bit lower?

DNO = Do Not Open (the subject line says it all).


But since you're here, I invite you to visit my home page...

This is the POA, the Pyramid of Accomplishment or the Pictogrigm of Achievement.



POA

And how it fits in with the BIG PICTURE of life:



The Pictogrigm of Life from the Square One Workshops, which is a goal setting/goal achievement program.

Hi Taylor!

> I don't think it is an issue most people are
> comfortable discussing. I am and I love the
> topic, incessantly.

Yes, I'm the same. :)

I like getting to the roots of things, to the core of what's happening.... And without a doubt, how you set your goals (whether consciously or sub-consciously) is a core element for why successful people are so successful....

> I have been setting goals since I was 15
> years old and I have been reading them
> ebvery night since then.

> Of course, as I reached each goal I replaced
> it with other goals but it has worked
> miracles in my life, literally.

Heheh.... You know what, Taylor? I was going to write something about "miracles" in my original message, but then I thought people would wonder what I was talking about....

But you took the words out of my mouth!

I feel many "miracles" have happened in my life too. And I attribute a part of that to aiming high.... If you settle for the mundane, those "miracles" are less likely to occur.

There can be frustrations along the way, no doubt about it. There have been times when I've even felt like a big failure, and started to despair. I've found that this is a normal part of aiming high, being willing to risk these kind of feelings. However, I try to get over these feelings and keep my eyes on my dream, and persist.... Then I find that the rewards in the end more than make up for the difficulties!

> People shun goal setting because it
> involves, not only work, but more
> importantly responsibility for one's self.

> Not many people desire to take FULL
> responsibility for their self. They give
> this away to other external entities and
> then complain when these same entities fail
> them.

Wow, that's true.... I hadn't really thought of that, but I think there's a lot of truth to what you said.

> I see it in marketing all the time...people
> ask what they should do to succeed as if
> someone else can remotely manufacturer their
> own success.

Taylor, I can really relate to what you wrote!

I'm discovering that I go through a pattern in any serious endeavor I undertake.... I did this when I was focusing on my physics career, and I did it when I was focusing on being a successful investor. (I count both of these endeavors as having been successes for me -- I have several physics research articles, and I'm doing well on the stock market.) Now I've started to notice that I'm going through this pattern with "entrepreneurship" too....

Here's the pattern. It might not fit everyone, but in case anyone benefits from this, this is what I seem to do....

First, I start to read up ALL I can on the topic. That means a LOT. It can take a long time too (it depends on how big that topic is). I read every day.

After some time reading, I'll often start to do some "experiments" here and there.... Try to apply the principles. (For example, "Entrepreneur-Web" -- my other web site -- was one of my experiments which I started a couple of years ago.... I learned quite a lot from doing it.)

After a certain amount of time, I'll start to feel like I'm quite knowledgeable on the topic. I'll get to a stage where I feel that I know a significant chunk of what's known which is important about a topic.... (This can take anywhere from a few months, to a few years.)

For example, I'm now at the stage that when I go to the "business" section in a bookstore, I feel like I probably know in essence what's contained in about 95% of the books. It's getting harder to find books with something "new" for me to learn from. When I get this kind of feeling, I find my confidence begins to soar....

That's when I feel I've got to apply this knowledge really SERIOUSLY. That is, big time, since I feel I've begun to reach the limit of basic study. I'm now finally at that stage with my "entrepreneurship" studies....

The next stage is to apply what I do know "big time," and see if it works. This is different from my "experiments," where I'm usually a bit more timid. Instead, I start to go all out, using all the knowledge and skills I've accumulated....

For example, with business, I do believe there are certain "keys" which distinguish those businesses which stay small from those which become large. I'd say that outsourcing some of the work, or employing others -- which can be thought of as leveraging other people's time -- is a big part of that....

And there are other shortcuts too. For example, using a celebrity as a spokesperson is a "shortcut" to achieving credibility and gaining the attention of your prospect. (And clearly this shortcut is used in advertisements all the time.) Whether you use this technique or not, it's powerful to have this kind of knowledge available to you to use in case you choose to....

> I also see it in how people live lives of
> "quiet desperation" waiting for
> that next wave of happiness to approach in
> the form of a mate, a substance, etc.

Yes, Taylor, I agree with you here. The way to go is to fashion your own destiny. :)

While you do experience frustrations on this path, the exhuberance you feel makes it well worth it!

> Goal setting is the way to live, especially
> if you beleive that you are created in the
> image of God. God has goals for each and
> every one of us.

Heheh.... Taylor, yes, here I'll get back to "miracles"....

I feel incredibly lucky. And these "miracles" that I feel have happened to me too, I believe they are partly due to setting high goals.... and.... praying. I have explored many traditions, and I believe in the power of prayer, and trusting in God (or a "higher power").

Those who are skeptical may say that it is all some kind of psychological effect. But however people choose to interpret it, the fact is prayer and trust in a "higher power" can and does make a difference. (That's why they use this in 12 Steps programs to treat alcoholics -- it's powerful and it's been proven to work. It can change your life.)

> If you consider the fact that we are
> supposedly, the brightest creatures around
> then you can see the import of setting goals
> and setting them high.

> I have some very high goals, for instance, I
> intend to generate 100,000,000.00 in profits
> via the Internet within the next 120 months,
> actually 118 months now.

> Will I succeed...how can I fail? Actually, I
> cannot fail unless I die without reaching
> that goal..and that is not failure in
> itself.

> If I give up, then I fail.

Heheh, very true Taylor!

Well.... You know what? My "secret" goal is to be a billionaire one day, but to do it ethically, and to enjoy myself as I go along. (That's partly why I try to study the lives of billionaires, like Richard Branson, Ross Perot, or Warren Buffett.)

(It's not worth it to me to do it unethically, though, or to sacrifice the more important things in life, like friends and family. I think it's important to get your priorities straight. Good friends and family will probably do more to make you happy than lots of money will.)

Then I'd like to perhaps set up a charitable foundation which was funded purely through the returns on investments of some of this. That's so some good could come out of this, and hopefully will also continue after I die.

Another long term goal of mine is to found a scientific research institute, and also perhaps a private university (or two).

Lofty goals, I know. To many people, they may even sound silly. But these long term goals are always in the back of my mind. :)

They keep me motivated. :)

> Dien, I could go on but bandwith gets
> expensive...

Thanks Taylor, you spoke a lot of truths.... :)

- Dien

Hi Dien,
excuse the title to this post. I "borrowed" it from a movie...anyway it applies.

You are a breath of fresh air to and for me.

I very seldom meet people anywhere who have lofty goals. It is frustrating because we, who may have lofty goals, find it difficult to relate to others, at least I do.

When I begin to expound and articulate about the possibilities and abilities inherent in each of us, people look at me as if I am using crack or something.

My question is this: How come regular people cannot dream and become and rise up to new heights? Will only our basest desires be met and not our cherished ideals and dreams, will they go unmet, unrealized. I think not!

Besides, at one time, every billionaire was normal, true?

It gets depressing...

For instance, I can recall, vividly, the time I informed my so-called peers that the construction my uncle own's, in Mpls., MN, would be in the BE100.

Within three uyears we made it into the BE100, actually we were numer 10 or so for a couple years.

We had gross sales in excess of 126,000,000.00. I can recall photocopying checks for 2,000,000.00, 7,000.000.00, etc.

It was great because we were accomplishing something we wanted to accomplish in spite of the naysayers who constantly told us we were striving after the wind.

Now, to be sure, Dien, it ain't all about dollars. I feel, deeply, that whatever you are doing you should do it to the very best of your ability. Do it like Michaelangelo painted or like Picasso drew...

Do it better than anyone before you did it or anyone after you shall do it.

Compete daily against your own self, go outside your comfort zone and always remember that anything worth doing is worth doing badly...

AT FIRST.

Dien, thnaks for the inspiration and guidance...it will go far with me, trust me. I latch onto any flash of light that will further me in any way, shape or form.

Taylor

> Hi Taylor!

> Yes, I'm the same. :)

> I like getting to the roots of things, to
> the core of what's happening.... And without
> a doubt, how you set your goals (whether
> consciously or sub-consciously) is a core
> element for why successful people are so
> successful....

> Heheh.... You know what, Taylor? I was going
> to write something about
> "miracles" in my original message,
> but then I thought people would wonder what
> I was talking about....

> But you took the words out of my mouth!

> I feel many "miracles" have
> happened in my life too. And I attribute a
> part of that to aiming high.... If you
> settle for the mundane, those
> "miracles" are less likely to
> occur.

> There can be frustrations along the way, no
> doubt about it. There have been times when
> I've even felt like a big failure, and
> started to despair. I've found that this is
> a normal part of aiming high, being willing
> to risk these kind of feelings. However, I
> try to get over these feelings and keep my
> eyes on my dream, and persist.... Then I
> find that the rewards in the end more than
> make up for the difficulties!

> Wow, that's true.... I hadn't really thought
> of that, but I think there's a lot of truth
> to what you said.

> Taylor, I can really relate to what you
> wrote!

> I'm discovering that I go through a pattern
> in any serious endeavor I undertake.... I
> did this when I was focusing on my physics
> career, and I did it when I was focusing on
> being a successful investor. (I count both
> of these endeavors as having been successes
> for me -- I have several physics research
> articles, and I'm doing well on the stock
> market.) Now I've started to notice that I'm
> going through this pattern with
> "entrepreneurship" too....

> Here's the pattern. It might not fit
> everyone, but in case anyone benefits from
> this, this is what I seem to do....

> First, I start to read up ALL I can on the
> topic. That means a LOT. It can take a long
> time too (it depends on how big that topic
> is). I read every day.

> After some time reading, I'll often start to
> do some "experiments" here and
> there.... Try to apply the principles. (For
> example, "Entrepreneur-Web" -- my
> other web site -- was one of my experiments
> which I started a couple of years ago.... I
> learned quite a lot from doing it.)

> After a certain amount of time, I'll start
> to feel like I'm quite knowledgeable on the
> topic. I'll get to a stage where I feel that
> I know a significant chunk of what's known
> which is important about a topic.... (This
> can take anywhere from a few months, to a
> few years.)

> For example, I'm now at the stage that when
> I go to the "business" section in
> a bookstore, I feel like I probably know in
> essence what's contained in about 95% of the
> books. It's getting harder to find books
> with something "new" for me to
> learn from. When I get this kind of feeling,
> I find my confidence begins to soar....

> That's when I feel I've got to apply this
> knowledge really SERIOUSLY. That is, big
> time, since I feel I've begun to reach the
> limit of basic study. I'm now finally at
> that stage with my
> "entrepreneurship" studies....

> The next stage is to apply what I do know
> "big time," and see if it works.
> This is different from my
> "experiments," where I'm usually a
> bit more timid. Instead, I start to go all
> out, using all the knowledge and skills I've
> accumulated....

> For example, with business, I do believe
> there are certain "keys" which
> distinguish those businesses which stay
> small from those which become large. I'd say
> that outsourcing some of the work, or
> employing others -- which can be thought of
> as leveraging other people's time -- is a
> big part of that....

> And there are other shortcuts too. For
> example, using a celebrity as a spokesperson
> is a "shortcut" to achieving
> credibility and gaining the attention of
> your prospect. (And clearly this shortcut is
> used in advertisements all the time.)
> Whether you use this technique or not, it's
> powerful to have this kind of knowledge
> available to you to use in case you choose
> to....

> Yes, Taylor, I agree with you here. The way
> to go is to fashion your own destiny. :)

> While you do experience frustrations on this
> path, the exhuberance you feel makes it well
> worth it!

> Heheh.... Taylor, yes, here I'll get back to
> "miracles"....

> I feel incredibly lucky. And these
> "miracles" that I feel have
> happened to me too, I believe they are
> partly due to setting high goals.... and....
> praying. I have explored many traditions,
> and I believe in the power of prayer, and
> trusting in God (or a "higher
> power").

> Those who are skeptical may say that it is
> all some kind of psychological effect. But
> however people choose to interpret it, the
> fact is prayer and trust in a "higher
> power" can and does make a difference.
> (That's why they use this in 12 Steps
> programs to treat alcoholics -- it's
> powerful and it's been proven to work. It
> can change your life.)

> Heheh, very true Taylor!

> Well.... You know what? My
> "secret" goal is to be a
> billionaire one day, but to do it ethically,
> and to enjoy myself as I go along. (That's
> partly why I try to study the lives of
> billionaires, like Richard Branson, Ross
> Perot, or Warren Buffett.)

> (It's not worth it to me to do it
> unethically, though, or to sacrifice the
> more important things in life, like friends
> and family. I think it's important to get
> your priorities straight. Good friends and
> family will probably do more to make you
> happy than lots of money will.)

> Then I'd like to perhaps set up a charitable
> foundation which was funded purely through
> the returns on investments of some of this.
> That's so some good could come out of this,
> and hopefully will also continue after I
> die.

> Another long term goal of mine is to found a
> scientific research institute, and also
> perhaps a private university (or two).

> Lofty goals, I know. To many people, they
> may even sound silly. But these long term
> goals are always in the back of my mind. :)

> They keep me motivated. :)

> Thanks Taylor, you spoke a lot of truths....
> :)

> - Dien

Hi Gordon,

I love the Pyramid of Accomplishment (POA). It summarizes so much wisdom in one handy diagram. :)

I really like the "obstacles" part you included. Everyone hits obstacles.... I think this is often what separates those who are very successful, from those who are not....

Many people begin their journey on the road to success. They have high hopes!

Then, on their trip they hit some speed humps on the road. Their vehicle starts to shake and rock, and they have to hold on for dear life as the trip gets bumpy.

As the POA shows, those who succeed keep going, they "do whatever it takes" to continue past this stage. However, many (maybe most) people turn back at this stage, when what they need to do is to keep going.

In my experience, this is the stage where you may start to feel despair, or feel like a failure, that I mentioned earlier....

That's when you have to keep your eyes on your dream. That's because, as the POA says, "motivation comes from anticipation and expectation" -- and keeping your eyes on your dream motivates you to keep going.

Maybe this is why I like to dream big.... Dreaming big motivates me, it gets me through the rough patches, and gives me the strength to keep going. :)

Thanks Gordon.... The Square One Workshops contains a lifetime's worth of wisdom.... It's a powerful map of the roads to a fulfilled life....

- Dien

Thanks Dien,

Here is the POA that John Raabe did. His web site is mentioned in BYBA it is www.countryplans.com

Look at the EXITS.



Here we see the reasons why people don't reach their goals.

First is from lack of belief. Exit two is a challenge/obstacle.

IF a person can get started, and often THAT is the hardest part, then going to BELIEF which is the essential/critical/must part of goal setting...although we know of people who do it and doubt themselves too...but

this seems to be most people's sticking point.

So having "modest" attainable goals may help a person gather momentum. Once they DO a little, then they start to believe.

I can see this is going to be a good topic for the New Year.

Gordon Alexander

Hi Bob,

Great post.... comprehensive, yet in a compact way. :)

> 1. Determine a large objective (shoot for
> the stars goal) to accomplish by a certain
> time. (Could be financial, physical,
> emotional, whatever. I've used it to create
> businesses, train for marathons, etc.)

Yes, I agree with you that the essential same approach applies whatever your endeavor -- including marathons and practically everything else. :)

> 2. Begin with the end in mind (as Covey
> said) and reverse engineer the process with
> several intermediate and immediate steps
> (attainable goals) that must be accomplished
> to achieve the big result.

Yes, I fully agree with this too....

I tend to think of my big goal, and try to figure out how to achieve it, by working backwards.

However, to do this, it helps to have a solid understanding of how things work whatever field this endeavor is in -- gaining that knowledge can take time....

> 3. Don't be so locked in on the individual
> steps that you miss serendipitous
> opportunities that come along to help you
> achieve your big goal in an unexpected way
> (a la Rick above).

Yes, great advice! Be flexible and fluid....

"Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it." :)

> 4. Ensure that your big goal/project is
> aligned with what you're all about in life
> (i.e., mission or purpose or ethics, etc.
> Gordon's post and examples underline this
> point. Large and small is relative to the
> person and situation, grasshopper:-))

I agree, this is important too.

Unless your big goal is aligned to your own ethics, it makes it more difficult to achieve. And even just working towards achieving that goal, if it contradicts your ethics, will make you more miserable rather than happier.

Thank you, Sensei. :)

Thanks Bob, wonderful post!

- Dien

Dien and Taylor -

You both made excellent points in reposte to my post:-)

Re some of my goals for this year in answer to Taylor and Gordon's posts(not resolutions as they've been ongoing):

Health: Major goal = lose 35 lbs on or before July 4th (independence from beer belly day:-))

Enabling/intermediate goals to reach this: a. Order and use DietPower software to track food and exercise progress (now using it)
b. Pick nutrition/exercise plan to follow (Body for Life by Bill Phillips - will start the 2001 12 Week Challenge on 1/1/01!)
c. Establish monthly rewards for consistent downward progress (in process)

Finance/Business major goal: Create mid-six figure income this year as part of startup company that has excellent potential and is in my field of interest and expertise

Enabling goals:
a. Network and research opportunities (completed)
b. Pick and join company (completed - will start with Exostar (see www.exostar.com for details) as sales director on Jan 2 - 5th employee with stock options and excellent growth potential)
c. Make it happen by actions in the marketplace (starting next week!)

The finance/business goal is an intermediate in support of financial independence by 2004.

I also have spiritual and relationship goals as well, following a similar process of major goal supported by intermediate actions. I'll post them if there's any interest as Gordon goes thru his areas above.

Good thread!

Bob

Hey Bob,
I could possibly help with this goal...

Taylor

> Health: Major goal = lose 35 lbs on or
> before July 4th (independence from beer
> belly day:-))

Glad for the help, Taylor. Please email me with details at [email protected]. Thanks!
Bob

> Hey Bob,
> I could possibly help with this goal...

> Taylor