Setting big, scary goals is exciting.
But it’s also quickly disheartening too many times when we fail to support our efforts by managing expectations. Most of the time, the problem isn’t that the goal’s too big or grandiose. It’s that we’re not setting reasonable expectations about reaching it.
Here’s an example that’s super-oversimplified just to make the point.
Let’s say you’re 25 pounds overweight, so you decide to lose that much through exercise and eating well.
Is that a reasonable goal?
Absolutely!
Now, let’s say you want to lose the 25 pounds in two weeks.
Is that a realistic expectation?
Absolutely not!
And yet I hear from people all the time who want to do something like this in such a tight timeframe.
Look, expectation is the mother of all disappointments. But setting goals and setting on a well-charted course to reach them?
Well, that’s how you get where you want to go.
Don’t change the desired destination. Just pick the right path.
