While all top achievers agree on the importance of having goals, there’s an area that many disagree on.
This is between having either a massive goal, also known as a BHAG (a big hairy audacious goal), or having one that is more realistically attainable.
This is something I’ve always struggled with.
Should my goals be huge, or more easily attainable.
The solution I’ve found is to have a combination of both.
The Importance Of A BHAG
There’s nothing more exciting and important than having a big hairy audacious goal. This is a goal that should really get your blood pumping, and get you excited.
What would life be like if you achieved this? How would you feel? What would you be able to do? Who would you have to become to achieve this?
When you start thinking BIG, big things happen to your thinking.
By setting a huge goal you set a series of events in motion – you need to write it down though!
You begin to start thinking bigger, and your subconscious starts looking for ways to help you achieve it. Your consciousness literally starts expanding and once you start thinking big there’s no turning back.
A huge goal shouldn’t frighten you, but instead should empower you.
How To Set A BHAG
The key in setting your big hairy audacious goal is to set it not based on your past, but based on your future.
If you had unlimited resources, talents, skills, and knowledge, what would you want to accomplish?
Don’t base your goals on your past. Your past doesn’t equal your future.
The truth is that every single successful person had to start somewhere, and a quick look at the majority of self made millionaires and billionaires all show similar humble beginnings.
Break It Down
Success isn’t an event, it’s a process.
This is where setting more realistic and attainable goals comes into play.
Once you have your BHAG, it’s time to work backwards and start setting smaller goals.
Let’s say your BHAG is to run a marathon one year from today.
Your smaller and more attainable goals could be things like:
- Walk 1 mile this week
- Walk 10 miles next month
- Jog 10 miles in two months
- Run 10 miles in 6 months
And so on…
Of if your BHAG was quit your job and start a new business your smaller and more attainable goals could be:
- Research business ideas next week
- Start saving $100 a week to put towards living expenses during the startup stage
- Register a company name and website domain next month
- Start studying to learn how to build a website (or find a web designer) next month
- Start posting 3 times a week to social media by next week
By breaking down your big goal into smaller and shorter goals, you set yourself up for success.
Don’t Confuse The Two
There’s a time and a place for both big and smaller goals. The key is to not limit your big goal, but rather to set a series of smaller goals to help you achieve it.
The SMART goal setting acronym stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable (or achievable)
- Realistic (or relevant)
- Timed
These are all good things to consider when setting goals, but sometimes your BHAG shouldn’t be S.M.A.R.T. But instead should be big, hairy, and audacious!
Anything really is possible, and if someone’s done it before, you can learn from them and do it yourself.
You only get one life, what’s your BHAG?
