Setting Goals is Hazardous To Your Health – Why BHAG Don’t Work
Well I might have exaggerated a bit, but what I am tell you is that there are inherent problems with setting goals, especially big hairy audacious goals
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve either read or heard some setting goals guru or well-intended person tell us to set big hairy audacious goals…goals that scare us.
Well, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Why Setting Goals Doesn’t Work
The inherent problem with setting goals is related to how the brain works. Recent neuroscience research shows the brain works in a protective way, resistant to change.
Therefore, setting goals…any goals that require substantial behavioral change or thinking-pattern change will automatically be resisted. The brain is wired to seek rewards and avoid pain or discomfort, including fear.
When fear of failure creeps into the mind of the goal setter it commences a de-motivator with a desire to return to known, comfortable behavior and thought patterns.
What this means is that when your setting goals so outside your comfort zone (I actually call this your complacent zone) that you’re most likely NOT going to achieve it.
So, the question then is, how do I set and get my goals?
Glad you ask….
First, you need to understand what your complacent zone is.
It is comprised of two levels…two boundaries if you will.
At the bottom is the mental support line. This is a point that you will go no “lower” then, i.e. you won’t weigh more than this, you won’t make any less than this or you won’t be alone longer than this.
At the upper end is the mental resistance line. This is the line that “protects” you from venturing too far out of your box….your complacent zone.
The problem with the mental resistance line is you don’t know exactly where it is. There are signs when you get close like:
- Procrastination
- Frustration
- Fear
- Excuses
- Justification
- Defending
- Backing off
- Looking for something else (to do)
- Boredom
The issue is that these things happen so unconsciously we’re not even aware of them.
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So, what makes up our mental resistance (and mental support) boundaries?
They are made up of our:
- Beliefs
- Values
- Emotions
- Past experiences
- Meta-Programs
All of which reside in our unconscious mind. You can tell when you’re in conflict with your unconscious mind when you keep getting something other then what you want.
You see, your conscious mind is in charge of setting goals and the unconscious mind is charge of getting goals.
Let’s bring this back to big hairy audacious goals.
When you are setting goals way outside your complacent zone your unconscious mind is going to everything it can to “stop” you from getting it.
What needs to be done is establish a series of smaller objectives inside your complacent zone AND one or two just outside it.
This way you’ll trick your unconscious mind into thinking that it’s really not changing at all. It’s merely creating what it has already done before. Then when you approach the mental resistance line you’ll only need short burst of mental strength to move through it.
The key now is that once you breakthrough the mental resistance line is to stay there long enough for it to become your NEW mental support line.
When you can set manageable SMARTER goals that eventually lead you outside your complacent box, and stay there, you will have rewired your brain and you’ll start to think and believe differently.
When think and believe differently…well this is when the magic happens!
Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior has excellent information on how to manage your way through out of your complacent zone.
