SCOTT ADAMS ON GOALS
BIG GOALS MAKE YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT YOURSELF.
According to Adams, one of the biggest problems with goals is that they’re constantly making you feel like a failure.
“Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds so every day you weigh yourself and you’re like, ‘Eh, I’m failing’ even if you’re getting closer,” he explains. “You’re in this pre-success, kind of semi-failure, purgatory, emotional state. You’re not feeling like you’re a success.”
And this is exactly the reason why you shouldn’t make big goals for yourself. One, you don’t know if the goal you picked is the right goal (there could be better goals out there) and two, you have “blinders” on when you have goals because you’re prioritizing, says Adams. When you’re that focused, you also miss opportunities in related areas because you’re not noticing them.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH GOALS IS THAT THEY’RE CONSTANTLY MAKING YOU FEEL LIKE A FAILURE.
“The world is completely unpredictable now. You can’t predict where your career will be in a year. You can’t predict what technologies will change the world. You can’t predict whether robots will be taking your jobs. So picking a goal in this world has its downsides.”
However, Adams does say that goals do have a place in very specific, simple, short-term situations. For example, it’s acceptable to make a goal if you enter an archery contest and you want to hit the bulls eye or if you’re a farmer and you want to clear 40 acres of land before winter or if you want to go to medical school to become a doctor.
But never, ever make goals like, ‘I want to have my boss’s job in five years’ because you might be ignoring better opportunities by focusing on that one particular job.