“Why should goals have to be attainable and realistic?” asks Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of MindValley. I remembered thinking about the problem with goals a few weeks back when October started, and reading his Facebook post about S.M.A.R.T. goals resonated in that same thread.

The S.M.A.R.T goal-setting formula is pretty well-known I presume, where goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. But Vishen’s objection is:

It’s true that having goals is important, but I don’t buy into ‘S.M.A.R.T’ goals. It’s the ‘A’ and the ‘R’ I have a problem with……But why should goals have to be realistic or attainable? Goals can be dreams. Big dreams. Dreams that excite you and pull you toward making them happen. My goals are probably not attainable and realistic to many people’s eyes. But when I set goals, and when I ask my team to set goals, I do so knowing that 50% of those goals should have a 50% chance of failure. In other words, they are not, strictly speaking, realistic and attainable.

I liked how he approached his goals, because there are some goals that defy the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. The operative word here is “some”. Because some output or process goals can follow that criteria. The problem is when S.M.A.R.T. criteria gets over-zealously applied and expected for every goal, even the big, aspirational ones. This was why back in June, I decided to set a goal to make a million dollars. It’s crazy, it’s bold, it’s optimistic even to the point of delusion. But I love it, because when we aim for the stars, maybe we will land on the moon even if we don’t get to the stars. Having to scope our biggest dreams and aspirations down to the level of attainability and reality is such…a downer.     

Then Vishen goes on to mention how to really approach goals that are not attainable or realistic:

Because our happiness shouldn’t be tied to their achievement. Our happiness lies in knowing we did everything we could to TRY to attain them, our happiness lies in the pursuit, in working towards, in the process…on the journey. Beautiful things happen on that journey. Great things, amazing things that might change the destination itself. And so tying your happiness to achieving a goal makes little sense to me. Instead, tie your happiness to the process and use unrealistic goals as a compass. And watch as they naturally become more and more attainable.

So, maybe we aim for the stars, don’t get there, but along the way, we find another planet that’s more beautiful than Earth. Maybe I won’t make a million dollars in the end, but I will sure learn lots about myself, entrepreneurship and the world through the experience. That learning alone, is already priceless. Maybe I won’t get those six zeros, but even 10% of that is a pretty sweet deal in my book. Or maybe along the way, the goal evolves into something - a new passion, new purpose, new meanings - that makes the million dollars irrelevant (or more relevant, for all I know!). Tying happiness to the process is also one of the things I’m trying to learn this month - how to enjoy the journey, and inject more joy in my daily work.

I’d been deep in the doing the past 2 months, and it’s great to come back up for a breath of fresh perspective through this random piece of inspiration. A great reminder too, why I’m doing what I’m doing now.

So, looks like S.M.A.R.T. goals ain’t so smart after all, isn’t it?