The Problem with “Setting Goals”
We were all taught to set goals at a very young age. How much money do you need in your piggy bank to buy that toy? What do you want to be when you grow up? What kind of grades and experience do you need to get into that college?
Interestingly, when you get older, your goals tend to be set for you... This is what it costs to own a home, make it comfortable, drive a car, have a family, and have a life. You have a lot of control over how big you want those things to be, but the standards are pretty well set for you. When you get to work, they give you a quota, growth objectives, a set of target accounts, and some KPIs...
All of these metrics paint a picture of what success looks like.
Therein lies the rub... When other people paint your picture of success, you stop thinking for yourself. You define your standards by what you know, and you get duped into thinking the goals set for you are an indicator of your potential.
Even when you set goals for yourself, like New Year's Resolutions, you're quick to look around at what other people are doing. The comparisons are simple, and they help us feel like we belong. We're wired to want that.
The problem with goal setting is that most people don't have a good context within which to set them, especially if you've got your head down working on the ones that have been set for you.
When I was in college 20 years ago, I never thought I'd earn $100,000 in a year. It just wasn't possible in the career I was choosing, so I didn't even pay attention to the idea. Several years later, in a different role (also once unimaginable), I was the top-producing sales rep in my company. Today, I'm a self-employed consultant, and a lot of people tune in regularly to hear what I have to say (thank you).
Looking back, I've accomplished more before my 40th birthday than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. How does one set out to do that? How can anyone set goals to achieve things, when they don't even know what they're capable of achieving?
That's why I think there's a problem with setting goals. In some ways, they're actually limiting.
What would be possible if you only opened your eyes to your limitless potential?
The more curious I get, the more opportunities I find. If goal setting is about reaching your potential, then curiosity is about testing that potential. Be careful not to let one fly in the face of the other.
I have no idea where I will end up, but I know I'm on the right path. More often than not, that's enough. Short term goals are valuable and important (at the very least, you need to keep food on the table and a roof over your head), but when it comes to the big stuff, be open to possibilities you can't quite see yet. You're not supposed to be able to see them yet.
Jeff Bajorek
Real. Authentic. Experience.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to sell and being able to. Jeff Bajorek spent over a decade in the field as a top performer. He’s been in your shoes. He knows what it will take. He can help you succeed.
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