Generalize Your Goals

Wait, what? Yeah–we have been conditioned all our lives to dream big, set our sights on a specific goal–and go for it. But have you ever experienced that sinking feeling after reaching a specific goal? 

What now? 

We have seen many people gunning to reach certain goals–marathons, triathlons, a certain weight, a career milestone–only to experience vague dissatisfaction once they get there. Even worse–often people experience a period of total apathy about the thing they were working so hard to achieve. The marathon runner stops running at all, the promoted worker stops trying to do their best on the job. 

We think a great way to avoid this is to be more general with your goals. For instance, set a goal of running a certain amount each week–maybe you will run a marathon, maybe you won’t–but the general goal is to run more, and enjoy the benefits of greater cardiovascular health. 

We’ve mentioned in previous blogs the book “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear. He has a great quote from his book: “You do not rise to the level of your goals–you fall to the level of your systems.” But then he also talks a lot about having specific goals and how to reach them by focusing on the systems you use to get there. We are big fans of his systems approach–but we think it should be taken one step further: Generalize your goals, but specify your systems.  So, in our running example–be specific about your system–how much you will run each week, and on which days. This should be guided  by your work, family, and social schedule and the training load should feel sustainable and enjoyable. That is a good system, with a generalized goal. 

When we develop tunnel vision, obsessively working towards a very specific goal over time–we are bound to feel let down once we get there. Chances are, we will have slighted other important areas of our life in the wild pursuit of that goal. This all fits nicely into the old axiom, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” Focusing on your systems keeps you focused on the journey, and allows you to be present in your life. Focusing on the destination or goal puts you in a future mindset, and once the goal is achieved, you’re bound to feel lost without that thing you’ve had your sights set on. 

So, be here now–operating the sustainable systems you have designed to fit your life–and enjoy the process of reaching your generalized goals.

Until next time

Scott & Lennart