To meet big goals, think small 🎯🏁

To meet big goals, think small. So-called “process goals” are the key to realizing your big goals and dealing with the anxiety that you might fail. Here’s an account on how to set yourself up for success by Talya Minsberg.

This weekend, I’m running my 10th New York City Marathon …

I’m ready, and the weather looks perfect. It should be a good day, in part because I learned a real lesson last year.

Reflecting on Last Year’s Lesson

At the 2023 Boston Marathon, I came in fit enough to know I was capable of a personal best time. But three miles in, I realized I was hurting way too early.

I convinced myself that I never had to race a marathon again if I just got to Mile 10 on pace to hit my goal. At Mile 10, I told myself to get to the halfway point—13.1 miles—and then I’d renegotiate. By Mile 22, after a few miles of stretching and deep breathing through a side stitch, I found a new wind and decided to reclaim whatever time I could. I ended up running those last four miles way faster than my pace at the start of the race.

Understanding Process vs. Outcome Goals

Without realizing it, I’d broken down the race into what behavioral scientists and other experts call “process goals”—small objectives that were more in my control—instead of focusing on my original “outcome goal” of running my fastest time ever.

The Science Behind Process Goals

That can be a remarkably effective strategy for all kinds of goal setting, it turns out. One broad review of research on athletes suggested that process goals lead to better outcomes overall.

That’s because focusing on one step at a time tamps down our anxiety while showing us what we can achieve, explained Ollie Williamson, the main author of the study.

I asked experts for advice on setting effective goals, whether you’re training for your own race or negotiating for a promotion at work.

Motivation Through Big Goals

Many people naturally gravitate toward ambitious goals that are the traditional markers of success, like landing a dream job or winning an award 🏆

These kinds of targets can be highly motivating, said Ayelet Fishbach, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. But, she cautioned, whether you actually achieve them is usually at least partially out of your control.

That’s not all bad. Outcome goals can get you off the blocks, she said. But if you miss your target, she said, falling short can be profoundly disappointing. Had I been singularly focused on running a certain time in Boston, for example, “Well, that may be your last marathon,” she said.

Instead, she recommends focusing on the work you do to set yourself up for success🎯

Why It’s About You, Not Others

Dr. Williamson cautioned against setting goals built around how you stack up against others—what he called “normative comparison.”

You can’t control how well a competitor will perform or whether a co-worker will ace a presentation. Judging yourself against those moving targets can increase your sense of unease, which can hurt your performance.

Smaller, incremental goals give you a greater sense of control, which can increase motivation and could improve your results, Dr. Williamson said 🤖

From Dream to Action: The Role of Planning

Once you have a goal, the hard part is figuring out the steps that will get you from point A to point B. And there’s a big difference between having a dream and charting your path to get there.

“A goal is only useful inasmuch as it helps develop a plan for you,” said Charles Duhigg, the author of Supercommunicators and The Power of Habit. If done correctly, he said, once you have a plan in place, you won’t think too much about the goal.

Duhigg used the example of writing a book, which, as he knows well, can be daunting if you try to take in the whole picture at once. But the smaller goals—writing the opening of one chapter, and then the middle of another chapter—are what get you there. “If you just spend enough time sitting there doing these little bits and pieces, you end up with a book,” he said. “The book is the natural byproduct of the plan.” 📕

Applying Marathon Strategies to Life Goals

Ideally, I’ll be able to say the same thing about my race in New York this weekend 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

I’ll be running alongside a friend for her first marathon, and my goal is to help her get to the finish line feeling as happy and strong as possible, without our lifelong friendship dissolving in the process. (Dream big!) To make it happen, we’ll be setting our own incremental targets along the way: Start at a relaxed pace, make sure to stop for water, and embrace mini-milestones, like light posts and mile markers, in the final stages of the race.

Celebrating the Journey, Not Just the Finish Line

If all goes well, we’ll make it to 26.2 miles with smiles on our faces—along with 50,000 other people who, whatever their pace, took it one step at a time 😁💕

Ready to define your doable goals with an expert? Book your free first consultation, and start this with Karla together✨

Karla Schlaepfer and the awesome 🚀 DesignChange team