Guy Reams (00:01.134)
This is day 226. Goals should be unobtainable.
Guy Reams (00:09.71)
You know, we are inundated with advice these days about setting goals, creating specific and measurable objectives and devising OKRs. We're right. We're just inundated with stories of exciting and successful people that have attributed their incredible achievements, at least in part to their meticulous goal setting practices.
We've developed elegant software to set these goals up and track progress in real time. We carefully craft goals to reflect our ambitions and articulate in very precise language our path to success. Yet in our fervor for detail oriented goal setting, we've effectively stripped our goals of their true power. With all our focus on the minute details, objectives, tasks, metrics,
We have lost sight of the truly profound aspect of goals, that they should be completely unobtainable. What, you ask? That's ridiculous, you might say. How can goals be effective if they're unobtainable? There's a simple answer to this. The most inspiring, sought after, and revered goal statements are often nebulous and beyond our power to reach. There's a reason for this.
Humans are inspired by the unobtainable. When you set a goal and then immediately define it with precise, easily obtainable steps, you strip it of its power. Consider the world's major religions. Each of them has lofty, almost impossible goals, yet they command devout and loyal followings. Christianity promises eternal life with God in heaven after death. Islam aims for Jannah, an eternal paradise in the presence of Allah.
Hinduism's ultimate goal is what is it called Moksha? I can't pronounce it. Liberation from the cycle of life. Buddhism seeks nirvana, which is also a very similar state of liberation and peace. These religions thrive on goals that are grand and elusive, or at least they're elusive in our current existence. Humans are clearly wired to chase the impossible. So what type of goal is the most inspiring?
Guy Reams (02:31.79)
The one that's specific, with clearly defined language and measurable criteria? Or the one that's audacious and larger than life? I would argue the latter. Consider weight loss, a goal that many of us have shared at least some point in our lives. The weight loss industry has become a significant force in the United States. Now let me ask you this, of the following two statements, which inspires you the most?
I'm going to lose 10 pounds before 8 '124 or I'm going to look great naked. The latter statement captures the imagination, in my case, a really big imagination, and appeals to a deeper sense of aspiration. It's not just about a number on a scale. It's about a transformative vision that taps into our desire for confidence and self -improvement. The audacious goal is more likely to ignite passion,
and drive, making the journey toward it seem more motivating and meaningful. I get it, I get it, I really, really do. We need to have measurable and specific goals to track our progress, that's true. However, which statement is actually gonna get me out of the bed in the morning and run down the street? Clearly the specific lose 10 pounds goal isn't cutting it. Everyone has this goal and we all end up eating the pizza and sleeping in anyway.
The problem is we need more inspiration. We need a goal that will reach down into our core and yank us awake. Goals are more than just metrics on a spreadsheet. They shouldn't require endless time to create, track, document, and report. If you're spending all your time on these activities, you're not doing the real work needed to achieve the goal. Jesus didn't hold a seminar on OKRs. He simply told his apostles, feed my sheep.
That directive was powerful, inspirational, and got people moving. So yes, while measurable goals have their place, they often lack the spark that truly motivates us. We need goals that resonate deeply, that stir our passion and drive us to action. Those are the goals that will get us out of bed onto the path of real achievement. I remember a fun moment at a large sales kickoff. A few colleagues and I were sitting in anticipation of the leader's annual message.
Guy Reams (04:54.702)
This was important because if the growth goal was set too high, our bonuses would be out of reach. Conversely, the lower the goal, the easier it would be for us to get to our bonuses. So needless to say, this was a critical moment. Would the corporate goal be really high this year? People were betting it would be less than 10%, but not much lower. Most were hoping for 6 % to 7%, a fair growth rate for a business of that size. The moment came.
And with great fanfare, the leader jumped up on stage and announced that there would be no significant growth expected. We would just have a 1 to 2 % at the most growth rate. It would be a rather flat year. The audience, you think, would be excited. But they collectively responded with the resounding, meh. They should have been excited. Bonuses would have been easier that year. Everyone's going to get paid.
Instead, everyone left the meeting deflated, confused, discouraged. Easy goals are just never good. Despite all the logic behind having easy to reach goals, no one likes an easy goal. We all want to be stretched. Please, for the sake of all business people everywhere, do not sit in an office surrounded by staff and pontificate on a perfectly crafted goal statement that lands like a lead balloon.
because it lacks emotion. I want to believe. I want to care. I want to be part of something great. I want to reach for the stars and achieve the impossible, even if I fall short. I want to strive and stretch, even if it means facing failure. I love it. I thrive on it. No more lukewarm, milk toast, well rehearsed corporate goals designed to make everyone look good. Shock us. Wake us up.
Dig into our souls and help us see what we are blind to. Give us goals that ignite our passion and drive us to push beyond our limits. We need goals that inspire, challenge, elevate us. Only then can we truly unleash our potential and achieve greatness.