You've probably heard of the SMART model, which stands for:
Specific, Measurable, Accepted, Realisticand Time-bound.
I myself have used this model for many years, but the more I have worked with it, the more I have realised that realistic goals have no value...
What is realistic? What is unrealistic? How much can you really achieve? Can you even predict what you can and cannot achieve? What happens if you reach a realistic goal? And what if you don't reach your unrealistic goal?
In this post, you'll get a new method for setting goals. A method that gives you extraordinary motivation, action and therefore extraordinary results.
The problem of realistic goals
Fair enough if you just want ordinary results, an ordinary life, an ordinary everyday life and an ordinary job... but come on - who wants that!?
Let's take an example.
The SMART model is popular and extremely useful if you know how to use it properly. However, I find time and again that the R part, the realistic goal, does not hold if you want extraordinary results.
You're early in your career, in your early 20s, you might have just made the senior team and dream of playing for the national team one day. You talk to your family and maybe your coach, and you agree that it's a great dream, but that you'd better start setting a realistic goal.
...because what if you don't make it and are disappointed!?
Instead, the goal will be something along the lines of; 'to play 80 minutes per game on average, win the league and move up to the next division or move to a club in a higher division within 3 years'. The goal complies with the SMART model and especially the realistic part.
Your potential is great, so you are almost guaranteed to reach your realistic goal. In fact, you are so confident in your goal that you know you just have to continue with your current work effort and the goal is easily achieved within 3, even probably 2 years.
And here's the problem ...
Because somewhere in Denmark, there's a player with exactly the same prerequisites as you. Same position, same height, same weight, same age, but who is determined to get on the national team and no one should stand in his way!
Not even the family or the coach, who repeatedly tells you to be realistic. No, there is a way and it is to the top!
He knows that there is a high probability that he will never make the national team, maybe he will never play in the top league, but at the same time he knows that he will never play in the national team, or in the top league, if he does not set his sights high enough!
When you set a realistic goal, you will probably achieve it, but then what? What do you do next? Now you're no longer in your early 20s. You're in your mid-20s, and there's still a long way to go to achieve your big dream of making the national team.
You are influenced by your environment - maybe your family and coach are right... You start to forget your dream and your ambitions become ordinary and mediocre.
When you set realistic goals that you know deep down don't require a lot of work, you end up not giving 100%. It's easier to give up running because it's raining, you don't want to go to the gym because there's snow outside.
Morning workouts are skipped because you don't want to go to bed on time when you can hang out with your friends who also have mediocre dreams.
You start living an ordinary life, with ordinary goals and ordinary work effort.
10X your goals and dreams -> 10X your work effort
No matter how good your goal is, no matter how specific, measurable, accepted, realistic or time-bound it is, your success depends solely on your effort... If it was just about setting the right goal that adheres to the SMART model, we'd all be millionaires, have big houses, big faster cars, six packs and play sports at the highest level.
But that's not how it works. You have to make an extraordinary effort to get extraordinary results. That's why your goals and dreams have to be extraordinary too.
Instead of dreaming of scoring 30 goals in a season, dream of 300 goals. Instead of dreaming of playing 10 international matches, dream of 100 international matches. Instead of dreaming of earning 30,000 DKK a month, dream of 300,000 DKK.
When you set a goal, multiply it by 10! Set your goal 10 times higher than what you think is realistic and magical things will happen!
When you set unrealistic, lofty, extraordinary goals, you'll find yourself more motivated, more excited, and willing to put in the extra work it takes!
You will no longer be limited by your environment, but let your dreams guide your work.
Honestly, do you think Ronaldo just dreamed of being the top scorer in Portugal in a lower league, or do you think he dreamed of being the world's best, being the highest scoring striker ever?
You don't reach his level, you don't reach him to the sock holders, with mediocre goals, dreams and certainly not with a mediocre effort.
Think about it... What do you want most?
Set a realistic goal of scoring 10 goals in the coming season, and achieve it - and be happy about it, or...
Set an unrealistic 10X goal of scoring 100 goals in the upcoming season, work like crazy to reach it, score 20 goals, not come close to reaching your goal, but at the same time score twice as many goals as if your goal was mediocre and realistic?
Who do you think the national coach or scouts notice most?
If you want to reach the top, you have to be most attracted to the unrealistic goal... You have to work harder than your opponents and teammates. Optimize what you can optimize. Work hard day after day, towards an unrealistic goal that you know will get you further than the realistic goal.
Multiply your goal by 10, multiply your effort by 10, and your dreams will come true!
You need to set goals that motivate you and almost force you into an unrealistic, all-in work mentality and effort!
This post is inspired by Grant Cardone's book: "The Ten Times Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure". If you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you read it, or better yet - listen to it as an audiobook.
