Goal-Setting:

Navigating Perils & Pitfalls

September 12, 2023

Part I: Goals & You
What are Goals?
What are goals? We use the term regularly, but
what are we talking about with goals?

Goals are series of planned actions an individual

can take to direct their life toward some alternative
state of being.

Goals are more than just helpful and encouraged;

the very structure of your life will be influenced by
your goals or lack thereof.
 Goal Ingredients
Intention Goals are articulations of our
ambitions; it is what happens
Desire Effort when our imagination or
desires (eros) are made
known and are in-accord with
our will or efforts (logos).

Intentionality occurs when our

actions are in accord with our
desires.
Some Goals are Better Than Others
We should strive to be supportive of one another’s goals, but
some goals are better than others. What criteria can we use
to evaluate whether our goal is a good one?
• “I want to be world-famous and loved by millions!”
• “I want to be free to do whatever I want!”
• “I want to be the richest person on the planet!”
• “I want to grow more every day of my life!”
• “I want to be kind to myself and help others!”
• “I want to get paid to do the kind of work that I love!”
 Judging Goals: Start with Why
All goals have a what and a how. In
navigating that what and how, it is easy
for an individual to lose the “why” that
motivated the goal in the first place.
• “I want to be world-famous and loved by millions!”
• “I want to be free to do whatever I want!”
• “I want to be the richest person on the planet!” Simon Sinek, Start with Why
• “I want to grow more every day of my life!”
• “I want to be kind to myself and help others!”
• “I want to get paid to do the kind of work that I love!”
Simon Sinek, Start with Why (2009)
 S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Starting with Why helps you
define your Intention. With
S – Specific
your Intention in-mind, you
can proceed to develop goals
M– Measurable
that are S.M.A.R.T.
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time-Based
Why Have Goals?
Goal-setting clearly requires much
reflection, planning, evaluation,
and risk-taking.

With so much effort, you may be wondering if it is

such an urgent or necessary thing to have goals.

Why is it important to have goals in the first place?

A Tale of Two Wolves
Thinkers from Plato to Carl Jung
have used the analogy of ‘two
wolves’ to describe our condition.
• One ‘wolf’ pushes us to settle into a comfort zone.
• The other ‘wolf’ pushes us towards growth and risk.
• It isn’t as simple as deciding that one wolf is good
and the other evil; you must feed both wolves.

Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese (1998)

Drifting Through Life
It is important to have
goals set with intention.
Once you lose that
intention, you start drifting.
• Wandering without Direction
• Pleasure-Seeking
• Instant Gratification
• Limitation Mindset
• Avoiding challenges
• Risky/Addictive Behaviors
Napoleon Hill, Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success (1938)
 Intention & F.O.C.U.S
How do we prevent drifting?
Intentional goalsetting.
F – Follow
If we start with why we will O – One
know our intention. F.O.C.U.S.
on this original intention C – Course
when facing challenges –
don’t get lost in the details. U – Until
Mindfulness, grounding,
gratitude, and other
S – Successful
practices can help with this.
Part II: Designing Your Life
 S – Specific
M–
Measurable
The Long-Term & Short-Term A – Achievable
R – Relevant
Life is a game of balance. Goals are important to
set us up for long-term success, but we need to T – Time-Based
navigate the details in the short-term to get there.

Long-Term Goals Short Term Tactics

• Write a book • Make a habit of daily writing
• Get in shape for vacation • Make a habit of weekly exercise
• Invest in finances • Make a habit of investing monthly
• Become healthier • Make a habit of mindful eating
• Make more friends • Make a habit of being friendly
 Habits are Key
Humans are creatures of habit. Habits are comfortable –
remember that one of our ‘wolves’ drives us towards
comfort. This can be dangerous on one hand, but
beneficial if only we can choose and cultivate those
habits that will lead us to our goals. Feed both ‘wolves’!
• Write down S.M.A.R.T. behaviors that align with your original intent.
• Incorporate these into your life and F.O.C.U.S.
• Regardless of success or failure, stick to these habits. Act as though
you already have achieved your goal. Don’t treat these as mere means
to an end.

Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention (2004)

Embracing Failure
As a society we tend to preoccupy
ourselves with the end-results of success which
makes us neglect to consider all the failures that had
to happen to lead up to that success.
• Failure hurts and challenges our resolve. “How badly do you want it?”
• Failure happens when one ‘wolf’ pushes us out of our comfort zone.
• Mastery is the result of first-hand exposure; failure is necessary.
• Mindset is everything. You can fail without being a failure.
• The game is you against you. Remember your intention.
Resilience – The Impact of Stress
We’re used to most
things becoming weaker
under stress and
pressure. There are a few
things that are
exceptions to this rule
and become stronger
under pressure.
• Diamonds
• Gold
• The Human Mind
Part III: Living the Good Life
What is it All About?
You’re living this life here and now. Your
culture, family, religion, and a milieu of
other factors have brought you here with
your own understanding of what life is all
about. Your determination as to what life is
all about really comes down to two factors
that manifest in countless forms…

Limitation & Possibility

What is Possible?
Some limitations come from religion, culture, ethics,
and the like. Other limitations come from finances
or resources. Some limitations may be physical in-
nature.
• Here is a question for you: how do you know that something is impossible?

• That line between possible and impossible is constantly changing.

• Have you ever heard of the Roger Bannister Effect?

• Though not everything is possible, limitation first lives in the mind.

Strive for Fulfillment, Not Happiness
If you ask someone what
they want out of life,
most people will say
happiness. Most people
also struggle to define
what happiness is.
• Happiness isn’t a fish you can
catch.
• Instead, aim to cultivate satisfying experiences.
• Fulfillment comes as a reflection on a life filled with
satisfying experiences. Satisfaction aligns with your intention.
Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap (2007)
Three Models for Life Design
In closing, I would like to
provide three ideas that
have helped guide my
own decisions through
life.

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Eudaimonia/Flourishing

• Ikigai
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Eudaimonia/Flourishing
Ikigai