Goals Are For Losers

On of my colleagues, Andrew Stewart, recently had a post on Medium discussing the problems with New Years Resolutions. Here is a noteworthy excerpt from his post:

One of the biggest perpetrators of our “insanity” is partaking in New Years resolutions. The idea behind resolutions is great. The New Year is symbolic with the chance to start fresh. We can take all our failures from the past year, tear them up, and throw them in the garbage. Great idea, love it! Unfortunately for most of us that’s not how our new years resolutions turn out. The trips to the gym last about two weeks and about a month for us “hardcore resolutionists.” The three books we bought begin to collect dust on the shelves alongside the books we bought last year. The first page of our journal is covered with fantastic ideas and resolutions for the upcoming year, but the second page remains untouched. February arrives and we realize that once again we spend too much time on social media, watching our favorite TV shows a bit too much, and other seemingly small destructive habits that we wanted to break. At least we get to look forward to next year’s resolutions right, because this year’s resolutions didn’t quite work out. Does this sound a little like insanity to you? It does to me.

Andrew goes on to identify two main reasons for New Years Resolution failures: 1) Lack of conviction and 2) Complacency. He then proceeds to propose a few possible solutions for turning resolutions around. I encourage you to read the article, and it can be found here.

Permit me to propose my own solution. First, it helps to set "S.M.A.R.T." goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. A more detailed explanation of these types of goals can be found here. However, even "S.M.A.R.T." goals often go unachieved.

Rather, I think the only true solution is to establish systems instead of setting goals. Scott Adams, the creator of the comic "Dilbert," explains this well:

To put it bluntly, goals are for losers. That's literally true most of the time. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds, you will spend every moment until you reach the goal—if you reach it at all—feeling as if you were short of your goal. In other words, goal-oriented people exist in a state of nearly continuous failure that they hope will be temporary.

Instead of setting a goal, one should work on establishing a system. This is because the goal itself actually does nothing to contribute to the completion of the goal. Rather, a system designed with a purpose in mind will allow one to succeed daily, thereby increasingly getting closer to completion.

So lets revisit the lose 10 pounds goal but with the intention to create a system. As part of this system, one would eliminate soda drinking and run a mile each day. Every day that goes by without drinking soda is a success. Every day that goes by during which one ran a mile is a success. Fairly soon these small changes compound, just like the idea of financial compounding interest, to result in successful completion of the initial purpose (in this case lose 10 pounds) the system was designed around. The book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy talks about this concept.

Here is an outline of the "lose 10 pounds" example. Hopefully it is clear why one is better off with a system rather than a goal.

Goal based
Day One - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Two - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Three - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Four - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Five - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Six - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Seven - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Eight - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Nine - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure
Day Ten - did you lose 10 pounds? no = failure

System based
Day One - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Two - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Three - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Four - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Five - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Six - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Seven - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Eight - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Nine - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success
Day Ten - did you avoid soda and run a mile? yes = success

Fairly soon you are seeing the results (lose 10 pounds) with the system, all the while succeeding each day. However, with the goal you step on the scale each night having failed until you become impatient, frustrated, etc.

The system is all about putting ones self in a position to succeed. And the system will help one to keep a positive mindset.

So lets say your New Years Resolution is to get that promotion at work you have always wanted. Rather than setting that goal and failing every day you do not get the promotion, create a system. Maybe you decide to go in to work 15 minutes earlier each day and then let the rest take care of itself. This does not mean be passive as opposed to proactive about accomplishing your desires. Instead, it is about creating a well-thoughtout system that will put you in a position to succeed, not just for the big reason, but on a daily basis.

Accomplishing goals is not about making herculean efforts in order to make huge changes. Rather, it is about doing the little things correct day after day. In the words of James Watkins, "A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence."

-Joe