Why goal setting sometimes doesn’t work.
I have a quote from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, saved on my desktop that reads:
Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.
I saved this quote long ago to ponder later because, while I get the point, I think it’s lacking information about goals that explains why goal setting often doesn’t work for people. Did you know that there are actually THREE types of goals? Indeed, and when ALL THREE types of goals work together, we drastically improve our chances for successful outcomes. Let me explain…
Outcome goals are the most common goal type. It’s the goal type that we all set when we are asked to set a goal:
New Year’s Resolutions: I’m going to run a 5k this year.
Sales quotas: I’m going to make $50000 in sales this quarter.
Health and wellness: I’m going to lose 50 lbs.
Outcome goals, in the words of James Clear, set a direction. They are necessary and important, however, setting an outcome goal alone and expecting it to simply happen is unrealistic and usually doesn’t work. That brings us to our next goal type:
Process goals are the actions that we take to reach the outcome goal. Examples (the actual process goals are in bold):
I will download the C25K app and beginning tomorrow I will participate in the daily training program in the morning before work to train for a 5K in 8 weeks.
I will connect with 5 of my past clients in the next week to check in, determine future needs, and assess referral possibilities.
I will subscribe to Noom and begin logging my meals daily and listen to the daily lesson each morning as soon as I wake up.
Note the difference: running a 5K is the “what” and downloading a training app and doing the work each day for 8 weeks is the “how”. You will have a much better chance of reaching your goal of running a 5K if you do the neccesary work needed to achieve what you want to do.
The third goal type is performance goals. Performance goals are related to…performance. Examples:
I will finish in the top 3 in my age group in the 5K I’m running in 8 weeks.
I will be the top producer on my sales team this quarter.
I will drink 64 oz of water daily as part of my plan to lose 50 lbs.
The next time you set a goal for yourself, and I hope you do so soon, begin with your outcome goal and then make a list of all of the process goals that will support the outcome goal. Layer in performance goals as you see fit.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
