Extreme goals require extreme tactics

Most people understand the value of having ambition in life. When we are passionate about accomplishing something, we have more motivation to push through obstacles and succeed.

But what if that goal is extreme? It may seem as though we would gain extreme motivation. We will have massive amounts of willpower. We will have the energy needed to push further than anyone else. But this is simply not the case.

Extreme goals set us up for failure. By setting a goal that is too difficult, we will be more likely to stumble and fall. The motivation won’t rise up. The effort needed is superhuman.

The other day I watched a YouTube video that overvalued extreme goals. The speaker in the video claimed that we should shoot for the stars. We should sacrifice everything for our one passion. They claimed that by going extreme, we will be more likely to succeed.

But this isn’t true. Extreme goals require extreme tactics to achieve them. If we want to be a billionaire, we have to find ways to make massive amounts of money. We can’t pick up a part time job on the weekends. That won’t move the needle at all.

But if we want to pay off our credit card debt, getting a part time job makes sense. The extra money can help pay off the debt. We can chip away at the balance until we become debt-free. This modest effort can result in us improving.

Paying off some credit card debt and becoming a billionaire are worlds apart. Many extreme goals represent this. I hear many people claim they want six pack abs. Yet they don’t exercise or eat healthy. This extreme goal isn’t helping them. Instead of wishing for the perfect body, they can start to incorporate a little exercise. They can make small, healthy choices with their diet.

What happens is that the extreme goals sabotage the efforts that they can take. They will convince themselves that the only way to get abs is to do long, grueling workouts. They will chug protein drinks and skip meals. But these aren’t sustainable. At the end of their efforts they will be in the same place they are, far away from reaching extreme or modest goals.

That is why I encourage modest goals. Give yourself a shot to reach them without relying on extremes. The improvement matters. Even if you don’t see massive improvement, you can build on the small steps you have taken. Then you can keep building on them. Over time, you may just find yourself in the realm of those massive goals. But you didn’t do it by sacrificing everything and expecting miracles.

Improvement is possible for everyone. Everyone has the ability to get better. Yet most people shirk any responsibility for improvement because they assume it is all or nothing. Either they become a billionaire, or they stay in debt. They have six pack abs, or they are obese. They don’t see the middle. They don’t see the wide gap. They don’t realize they can be working to close that gap.

If you are unhappy with your current state, don’t get fooled into thinking that massive goals are the answer. Start small. Be modest in your ambitions. As you start to improve you can recalculate your goals. By then you will have made progress and will better understand the journey ahead of you.