Why I Decided to Stop Setting Goals and Instead Focus On This
I have seen a significant improvement
I came across a quote by the late Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s business partner.
“A lot of success in life and business comes from knowing what you want to avoid: early death, a bad marriage, etc.” — Charlie Munger
When you break down the quote into finer details, the main concept alluded to is anti-goals.
What is an anti-goal?
An anti-goal is simply what you don’t want to achieve. Things you don’t want to happen.
Example:
Goal: I want to be healthy. Anti-goal: I don’t want to be obese with multiple health issues.
The concept of anti-goals is not new.
Stoic philosophers such as Socrates and Seneca referred to it as ‘premeditatio malorum’ (the pre-meditation of evils). With this exercise, one envisions everything that can go wrong or be taken away from us.
Seneca puts it this way:
“What is quite unlooked for is more crushing in its effect, and unexpectedness adds to the weight of a disaster. This is a reason for ensuring that nothing ever takes us by surprise. We should project our thoughts ahead of us at every turn and have in mind every possible eventuality instead of only the usual course of events.”
Seneca’s quote contains sage wisdom on the premise of anti-goals. Knowing exactly what to avoid helps us stay true to ourselves.
Since I learned about anti-goals, I have embraced a different mindset about what I want to achieve.
Previously, this was my way of thinking:
- I set an outcome.
- I identified milestones to get to that path.
- I implemented them and focused on learning how to accomplish those goals.
An example is my health.
I wanted to keep fit despite leading a sedentary lifestyle and spending countless hours behind my desk. So, I set my goals using this format:
- I set an outcome. — I wanted to lose 10 kg.
- I identified milestones to get to that path. — I Scheduled regular workouts in the gym.
- I implemented them and focused on learning how to accomplish those goals. — Attended the gym regularly.
However, the downside of this method was the loss of motivation along my journey. Sometimes, I would wake up and have zero mood for the gym. On other days, I was too tired.
The result was that I gained an extra 2kg. ( 😄 )
Our Biology is our Limitation
Supriya explains my predicament. She argues that our brains are not designed for progress but for avoidance. Since our early days as cavemen, we have responded more urgently to danger rather than progress.
It turns out that the amygdala in our brains activates when we are compelled to take actions that avoid negative outcomes, hence completing tasks faster.
However, the reward centers in our brains do not light up as fast when we are seeking progress.
A different study also reported that people tended to act more quickly by taking immediate action steps and were more driven when they had to achieve goals that involved avoiding something rather than approaching it.
The low-down is this: if you want to achieve something, focus on how the scenario would be if you didn’t achieve it.
In your business, how would the scenario be if you didn’t make a single sale that month?
This, it turns out, will motivate you to work harder to avoid the scenario.
Steps to take to formulate anti-goals
This is what you need to do. Sahil Bloom offers a four-step process.
Step 1: Choose your Arena
This is the project area you want to focus on. It can be your health, work or personal life.
Example: Work
Step 2: Establish traditional goals
These are the standard goals that you would want to achieve.
Example: Get promoted at work
Step 3: Invert the Problem
Ask what the worst possible scenario would be that would make you regret it.
Example: Getting fired.
Step 4: Establish anti-goals
Work back towards your goals.
Example: I never want to get fired.
You will realize that to avoid getting fired, you will focus more on getting work done on time and meeting all your work requirements.
Suppose you would consider setting anti-goals to become better at what you do.
Figure out what losing the war looks like and build systems that will help you avoid it. Eventually, you will find yourself getting further than you even hoped.
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