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<aside> ⚠️ GUIDE
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It is very important for you to understand the difference between END and MEANS goals!
For decades the most recommended and accepted method for goal-setting was SMART, which is an acronym for:
While some of those criteria (like Specific and Measurable) may be fine, other parts (like Achievable and Realistic) make SMART goals pretty dumb.
Why?
Because too often they act as impediments to, not enablers of, bold action, and actually encourage mediocre and poor performance. Achievable and realistic SMART goals seem to say.
“Don’t push beyond your resources, don’t bite off more than you can chew, play it safe and stay within your limitations.”
This is why I encourage people to think differently about goal-setting.
SMART goals can be fine if you use them well and understand that these goals are more like milestones (means goals) rather than actual goals. However, the most common goal-setting mistake (in my opinion) is to confuse END GOALS with MEANS GOALS!
End goals define outcomes where you’re unwilling to compromise — they describe exactly what you want. Means goals, on the other hand, define one of many paths to reach your end goals.