Usually, we talk about smart goals and smarter goals. Smart goals are fine. They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. But do they motivate? Are you inspired by your goal? If you are not sure, you should start setting smarter goals. More reading here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Why SMART goals are good enough?
If we treat our lives in a gamified way, SMART goals are like a personal development plan. As long as we achieve them, our lives are likely to develop in a good direction.
Specific goals enable the focus of efforts. As long as the efforts are focused we are likely to make reasonable progress.
We measure this progress and modify the tools and methods we use. As long as we measure everything, we are likely to improve our methodology.
Achievable and realistic goals are required for progress. If the goals are farfetched we are unlikely to reach them no matter how hard we try. The whole point is not just reaching goals, but learning as we do that. So every goal needs to be set in a way that we can surely reach it.
Moreover, we should reach every goal in a timely fashion, generating not a single event but a flow of achievements.
Set a realistic goal, start the timer, achieve it, and celebrate. This is a cycle of success with serious dopamine reward. Dopamine provides both focus and satisfaction, and the whole experience is gamified. So why does it so often feel empty?
Are SMARTER goals any better?
The next level of goals adds two steps: evaluation and revision. The SMARTER goals are constantly evaluated and revised. Since we live in great uncertainty, by the time we are half-way to our goal, the environment changes enough to suggest a better goal. Something that used to be true during the original planning may become irrelevant due to a single event, like a strategic move by a customer or a competitor.
For example, in October 2023 I planned to travel abroad and visit certain places. Then a war began and the flight tickets were cancelled. Getting other tickets would work, but I wanted to be with my family and provide some guidance and protection. The whole travel became irrelevant. So its goals were scrapped.
Goals are not set in stone. They can be evaluated and revised as we learn new things, as other players make their moves, or as the environment changes.
Empty games and useless achievements
The main issue we are dealing with: some goals lose their value as we try to achieve them. Ideally, goals are not just a measure of progress, but also a motivational design. If something changes in the environment, we can evaluate and revise the goals. But what happens if the goal stops being inspirational? What happens when reaching the goal feels like the most boring thing around?
I had ADHD. In my case, this means that I can be passionate about something for several months or years and then completely lose interest. I might be obsessed with some hobby, and then several years later not feel any affinity. Usually, this means that I need to evaluate and revise my goals not just due to changes in progress but also due to changes in motivation.
Empty games and useless achievements do not generate proper gamification. It is like playing some game we used to love as small kids and feeling how childish it used to be. Not all forms of gamification work. If a gamification backfires we tend to lose interest. Investing further willpower and focus into something that does not inspire may cause resentment and start a vicious cycle of disillusionment.
Alignment with values
The fix initially looks simple. When we evaluate and revise the goals, we need to realign them with our values. As our values may change, so should our goals. If “having more money” no longer inspires, possibly the relevant goals should deal with “legacy” instead. This alignment is easier said than done. Here are some common pitfalls:
- The goals should not move too much. Unless something incredibly rare happens, our values do not disappear. Their importance changes slowly, and the goals should be realigned slower than that.
- Some changes are temporary. For example, many people oscillate between two different sets of values and ways of life, like secular and spiritual. In this case, both sets of values are valid, their timing and prioritization are the factor that moves.
- Changing goals changes the path. Many goals are strategic. If we change enough goals we start to move in a different direction, maybe become a person we never wanted to become. We might not be inspired by immediate goals, but this does not immediately mean that we want a different identity.
- The new set of goals may also lose its appeal. There is a good chance that if we find something not sufficiently motivating, we may eventually find its replacement even less motivating. I remember that once I decided to become a patent editor, but was overcome by the boredom of office actions. I was happy to return to my original values and goals, even though I lost some momentum.
The last point is important: any time we modify our goals we are very likely to lose momentum. Momentum is a measure of the virtuous cycle of success driving success. Losing momentum, we need to readjust our schedules. Even worse, we lose some confidence, some half-finished projects never graduate to fruition, and some measure of self-worth disappears. It is bad. Not as bad as trying to achieve empty goals, but there is still a penalty.
The heart is stupid
The best and worst piece of advice: “Follow your heart.”. This is a good way to increase the risk. If the heart desires something positive, the effect can be amazing. Unfortunately, usually, the heart desires something strange. For example, arranged marriages have success rates not worse than marriages of love and passion. In the case of very young people or low IQ, marriages of passion tend to lead to various disasters. Smart people with age and experience, learn to balance desires with constraints and are more likely to generate a functional family. Even then, marriage counseling is often required.
“Gutsy” business decisions usually result in financial ruin. There are examples of the opposite, but such examples are rare. If you knew that the success rate of your decision was 10%, would you still tempt your luck?
It is often better to reframe your current goals in a way that motivates you than define a new set of goals based on emotions and desires. Reframing is a relatively simple psychological tool. It is not guaranteed to work, but when it works it is extremely effective.
Ulterior motives
If we want to find ulterior motivation for some practical goals. we may want to ask why would our role model do this? Is the action in itself inspiring and cool? Will the world be better as a result? Do we become more valuable in someone’s eyes as a result of the action? If the answer is positive, we may reframe our goals.
Reframing the goals to the ulterior motives may require changing the success criteria. If we do something for money, we will not risk our physical wellbeing. Doing something for the country the family or even the future of mankind is a very different thing. We may risk more and ask less in return. The entire accounting of risk vs reward will change.
Relative to ourselves
Most people prefer to be evaluated relative to their own achievements. Some people are sufficiently competitive to compare with others, but this is a double-edged sword. When comparing with others, inspiration is often replaced by desparation. Some players function on a different level, and it is not realistic to expect a similar performance from ourselves.
Quite often, changing the success metrics from absolute or competitive achievements to a reasonable progress rate is enough to motivate. Changing the accounting methodology automatically changes the goals – at least in the way we perceive them.
Restructuring goals
In our methodology, we often add “R”s to smarter goals. One of the “R”s is reframe or restructure. To be motivating, the goals should be aligned with ever-changing values. This alignment can be achieved by considering different aspects of existing goals and the accounting methodology used to measure progress.
