How To Set Goals and Achieve Them with Less Effort: The Energy Equation
Goal setting always seems to be on the mind. At certain times of year, we focus more on setting goals, and then later more on the goals we have—or have not—achieved, and on the cycle goes. Why is goal setting important? What is the best way to set goals? How do they impact our energy and how does our energy impact them?
Setting goals helps us focus our energy (Image: Unsplash).
In my experience, it's always a lot easier to set the goals than it is to achieve them. I expend a tremendous amount of energy on defining the right goals, setting them out in time, and still, the rate of achievement remains fairly stable. So much so that I go through phases not setting any goals at all, just to see what happens. I generally feel completely lost. In these moments, and at time in between projects or on holiday, I feel lost, floating, unsure of what to do next. That is when I am keenly aware of just how much I use goal setting as an anchor, a way to focus my energy. It turns out that is because of how our brain functions. And note, it's the process of goal setting that focuses the mind, not goal achievement. Achieving goals does, however, boost motivation. If we get the process right, separating goal setting from the outcome of goal achievement actually releases a huge amount of energy to get things done.
Want to know more about why goal setting is important, what goals are and how to get smart about goal setting? Check out this other post with tips for achieving goals.
Why set goals? Because it's a superpower
Every second of every day the brain weeds through millions of bits of information, whittling it all down to an amount we can actually process—which has been calculated at 126 bits of information per second. Our system will focus in on only a few things, and block out the rest—literally, all the rest becomes invisible.
So, how does the brain decide what to focus on? First of all, it will narrow in on survival, because that is our very first, primal instinct. This means we will automatically focus first on threats—so if you are not feeling safe, that is all you will focus on. Getting back to a feeling of safety is key. Once survival is ascertained, we focus on our goals, because the brain also considers our goals, and things that can help us achieve them, to be essential to our survival. In effect, goal setting is one of our superpowers. And it has everything to do with our daily energy levels.
In the book The Art of the Impossible, Steven Kotler describes the process elegantly: “The brain is… always trying to predict what is about to happen next and how much energy will be required by that situation. …We take in information, find connections between this information and prior experience, and then filter those results through our goals to decide what to do next.” So goals help us to focus. They help us weed through all the information coming at us all day long. When you get clear about your goals, you get clear on what information is pertinent to you.
How to set goals: Separate goals from wishes
The difference between a goal and a wish is simple: you act on the former and dream about or hope for the latter. Why is this distinction important? The brain loves to be coherent. If I wish I would eat less chocolate, my brain is perfectly happy. I’m already doing that, I’ve already accomplished wishing that result. I don’t actually need to eat less chocolate. However if I set a specific goal, to reduce chocolate intake by 80% 😰—don’t bother asking, I will not tell you how much that amounts to—and then I write it out, preferably in present tense, my brain will try to be coherent and do the work I need to do to to reduce my chocolate intake. It's a superpower, I'm telling you.
More on how to set goals: Focus on three different levels of goals
Based on the work of Steven Kotler, there are three levels of goals to set.
Mission goals are high-level. These are called big, hairy audacious goals (BHAG) by some organizations, massively transformative purpose (MTP) by other organizations. You can call it your purpose. Your mission statement. You can have one or more than one. These are bold. They set life direction. They are filled with passion. They don’t need to be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based. In fact, I like to make them DUMB: Dream-based, Uplifting, Massive, Barely attainable (thank you Brendon Burchard for the acronym). These goals are found at the intersection of your curiosity, your values, your passions. They can take a long time to define and can change and evolve. It can help to work these out with a coach. Think of them not as inspiration—these are not affirmations—but as a filter helping you focus on what matters.
High, hard goals are the difficult and doable goals you break your mission down into. These need to be hard enough to be challenging, not so hard that you get discouraged and completely stressed out, and certainly not so easy that you get bored. High, hard goals will focus your attention. They are the second-level filter. They work because of the attention and persistence we give them, and because of our willingness to try again when we fail.
Clear goals, to use Kotler's term, are the tiny steps that will get you where you want to go. This is where you apply what I call the sausage principle. You take the high hard goals and cut them up into thin slices, to tackle one at a time. The slices should provide some enjoyment—any way you can bring in the notion of pleasure will help. And enjoy each bite. Each achievement, no matter how small, deserves your full attention, because that’s how you get the dopamine flowing to stay motivated. Celebrate. So tomorrow you get up and start over again. That is how to achieve goals.
How to set goals: defining clear goals the right way
Clear goal setting
Clear goals are a linchpin in our personal energy management system: When goals are clear, the mind doesn’t have to wonder about what to do next—it knows. and that saves energy. It helps to attend to the following:
Clear goals should also be set to stretch you, at that balance point between too hard and too easy.
SMART goals work well here. Clearly define what success looks like. You want to know without any doubt when you are succeeding and when you’re not. You also want a clear definition of done.
Focus on the clear part, not the goal or outcome. Do this by defining how you want to show up and the impact you want to have.
Getting clear goals on your daily action list
Once clear goals are defined, they go on a daily action list. This essential step requires us to be realistic (we know that's hard: see this post and particularly the part "Don't Burnout: plan on not being able to plan“) about what we can accomplish and when. When we carry a list over day in and day out, we no longer get a dopamine boost and our motivation dwindles. Here are some tips:
Your action list with clear goals must cover all areas of your life, not just work. You want to account for whatever uses up energy.
Limit your list of clear goals to your maximum capacity for the day—too much leads to stress. You need to figure out what works best for you. To know, spend a few weeks tracking how many things you can actually do a day and be the best at them all.
Plan to work on your goals when you will be at your best and for only as long as you will be your best and only then adapt to the outside constraints. We all tend to do the contrary.
Find the number of actions and stick to it. This will allow your brain to close down at the end of the day, save you energy overall.
Start day with most energy consuming action, because your energy naturally diminished over the day. Always be attentive to your own biological rhythms. There's a natural wave throughout the day with peaks and valleys.
Close up shop at the end of the day. Write out your clear goals for the next day—I call it a brain dump. Bask in the glory of completion and close any loops. This will lower your cognitive load in the evening you can rest and recover. Your sleep will be better. Your family life better.
Secrets behind how to set goals
Too many high, hard goals or projects, can lead to overwhelm. Our attention is limited. I’m not saying to give up on them, I’m saying a certain amount of realism saves us from despair and inefficacy. What can you actually do? Be the guardian of the gate and get rid of the ones that don’t matter. Protect the goals you’ve got going by giving them space in your calendar. If you haven’t touched a goal in the last 90 days, eliminate it or move it out in time. Your brain hates unfinished loops, so close them. We need completion for our mental health. We spend a lot of energy feeling guilt for undone things. Take what is non-feasible—move it on the schedule for later—your brain will thank you.
According to Psychologists Gary Lantham and Edwin Locke, when we believe in what we are doing and the desired outcome is aligned with our values, we are more committed.
Stay flexible, changing your action steps as you learn what is working and not working and updating your high hard goals as you learn along the way.
Sometimes goal achievement is a grind. In those moments, circle back to your high hard goals and mission goals and make sure you are really clear on the results you want, how you want to feel, what's at stake, and how you will celebrate. You can also ask what skills you may need to develop and what is getting in the way. Get an accountability partner or a coach.
As Kotler says quite succinctly, "It's always crawl, walk, run." Keep this in mind rather than wasting energy on feeling shame, guilt, or as if you are not enough.
While people can be a good sounding board to get clear about your ideas, announcing your goals to the world is not. You’ll want to keep your goals to yourself—according to psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, talking about your goals significantly lessens chances of achieving them. This is neurochemistry: when you tell someone about the goal, you give yourself a hit of dopamine—which is what you are supposed to get afterwards. It makes you feel satisfied, which makes it hard to do the actual work.
“Because the brain is a prediction engine and consciousness is a limited resource, fear and goals are the basic building blocks of reality.”
The goal-setting short list
Make sure you feel safe.
Separate your wishes from your goals.
Believe in what you are doing.
Set goals aligned with your values.
Define your mission goals.
Set high hard goals.
Chunk those into clear action goals that will give you tiny little victories everyday.
Let go of the outcome and show up every day and do the work.
Celebrate your daily accomplishments.