The Problem With Goals

Also the four stages of competence.

On Productivity…

I love setting goals. I have a file in Notion titled ‘GOALS’ that houses an ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish. I look at it almost every day.

But goals are a trap.

A goal is something you aim to achieve. It’s a point on the horizon, a mountain to climb, a number to hit. But did you know that 23% of people quit their New Year’s resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January? The numbers worsen as the year marches on.

The Problems With Goals

Traditional goal setting often revolves around the endpoint, the destination. We focus on outcomes and results, leading to several challenges:

• Goals can make you feel like a failure. The inherent concept of setting a goal is that you’re in a state of failure until you achieve it. You subconsciously think you can only be happy once you reach that goal. And if you aren’t making progress, you might get discouraged and give up altogether.

• Achieving your goal is temporary. OK, so you climbed the mountain. Now what? With a goals-based life, you need to find an even bigger mountain.

• Goals can be stressful. You can’t control everything. Goals seem to indicate that you can control every last thing that would otherwise impact the goal. And when things go awry, anxiety kicks in, leading to stress.

• Goals can be inflexible. You can set a goal and, while working toward it, you might realize that the goal was flawed or unattainable or too easy. Life turns on a dime sometimes, and goals are not always equipped to handle something unpredictable.

So if goals are not the answer, what is?

Systems my friends. Systems are how you achieve your goals.

As James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, says in his book, problems arise when we spend our time focusing on a goal, but not on the system to achieve them.

Goals are good for setting a direction, for giving you something to achieve. But systems are how you make progress. Goals are for the future. Systems give you something actionable and satisfying to do in the present. They revolve around daily actions that keep you moving forward.

Should You Still Set Goals?

Yes, you absolutely should still set goals. Goals are fun, they are motivating, and they point you in a direction you want to go. But I’d recommend a few guidelines:

• Write them down and look at them often.

• Goals should be specific. Ideally, your goals would be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. But either way, they should not be overly vague.

• Goals should be personal. Set goals that mean something to you. Set a goal that will positively affect your life in some fun or interesting way.

• Take the win. Whether the goal is huge or tiny, when you hit that goal, take time to celebrate or acknowledge that you accomplished something.

However, after you set goals, lock in on your systems.

Here's how it works:

1. Start with the end: Set a goal. This is what you want to achieve. For example, one of my goals is to be able to do 50 pushups a day.

2. Create a process: Break your goal up into actionable step-by-step processes. Create simple tasks that can become habits. What do you need to do every day? Every week? Every month? For me, this means working up to the amount of pushups I can do in one session week after week.

3. Build a schedule. Set some key milestones and deadlines. Mark the dates you plan to complete each task, ranging from a few weeks to months ahead. In our pushup example:

   1. Day 1: Test how many pushups you can do in one go, then do 50% of that number 4 times throughout the day (e.g., if you can do 10 pushups, do sets of 5 pushups).

   2. Day 2: Rest or do light upper body stretching.

   3. Day 3: Do 60% of your max number in 4 sets throughout the day.

   4. Day 4: Rest or engage in light stretching.

   5. Day 5: Do 70% of your max number in 3 sets throughout the day.

   6. Day 6: Rest or perform light activity.

   7. Day 7: Do 50% of your max number in 4 sets throughout the day.

4. Trust the process. Be consistent. Momentum comes from little victories. You won’t always see progress, but you can believe that it is happening. Some days, those pushups come easy and some days it’s a slog.

5. Track the progress. Create some mechanism to see how you are doing. Create a Key Performance Indicator document or keep a journal to see how you are progressing. I have a little pushup diary entry on my phone.

6. Go easy on yourself. Something will come along and derail you. There will be moments when you'll fall off track and have to focus on other things. Have grace with yourself when things get wonky. I broke my ankle (see below) so my pushup schedule is gonna be thrown off.

7. Adapt as needed: Be willing to adapt your system as you go, and learn from your experiences. The best systems are flexible. Tweak things without giving up on your ultimate goal. The key is to create something sustainable. For instance, since I am injured, I have to do my pushups from my knees.

Start with something that you can commit to every day, even if it is small (like 5 pushups, don’t judge). Your systems will morph into habits. Before long, you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come.

On Learning…

Do you know about the four stages of competence? Without even realizing it, you have likely progressed through the stages in your quest to learn something new.

What Are the Four Stages of Competence?

The Four Stages of Competence, often referred to as the “Conscious Competence” model, represents a psychological framework explaining the stages people experience while learning a new skill or competency:

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Conscious Competence

• Unconscious Competence

The origins of this model are not entirely clear. Some attribute it to psychologist Abraham Maslow, but evidence suggests Noel Burch, an employee at Gordon Training International, also used the model, calling it the "four stages for learning any new skill." Over time, the Four Stages of Competence model has emerged as a fundamental concept in psychology and education

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Let’s dive into each of the four stages of learning:

Stage One: Unconscious Incompetence (Ignorance)

I don’t know what I don’t know.

This stage is all about ignorance. Here, we are not only incompetent but also oblivious to our incompetence. We may even question the value of the new knowledge or skill. Without immediate motivation to confront our ignorance, we can remain in this stage for some time. Advancing requires acknowledging our knowledge gap.

Stage Two: Conscious Incompetence (Awareness)

I know what I don’t know.

At this stage, awareness sets in. We recognize our shortcomings and the necessity to learn and enhance our abilities. This stage can be daunting as we might feel overwhelmed or frustrated by our slow progress. But this stage is critical in learning. Only when we acknowledge our deficiencies can we begin to take steps to improve.

Stage Three: Conscious Competence (Learning)

I know what I know but have to think about it.

This stage is characterized by learning. At this point, we have acquired new skills and knowledge. However, executing these skills or utilizing this knowledge still demands considerable effort. This stage isn’t bad cause we can actually do things, but it takes a fair bit of concentration to do things well. Our skills are not yet automatic and need further refinement.

Stage Four: Unconscious Competence (Mastery)

I don’t have to think about what I know.

The final stage is characterized by mastery. This final stage is reached when we have have practiced the skill so much that we can perform it effortlessly and automatically without conscious thought. Booyah! The prior stage required lots of effort, but in stage four, you trust your training and practice so much that it feels automatic.

While they might seem linear, these stages tends to be cyclical, with progression and regression as we discover and address our blind spots. But the four stages of learning provide a handy roadmap for growth and personal development. Ultimately, success is about recognizing our current stage and fostering the curiosity and determination to advance.

On Gratitude…

This weekend I fractured my ankle and likely tore a ligament. I’ll spend the next few weeks in a boot. It’s a major bummer.

I was mad at my own stupidity.

But amidst my preparation for Seppuku, I found gratitude in this experience. At least I screwed up my left foot, so I can still easily drive. At least this didn’t happen to my son, daughter, or wife. In all likelihood I won’t need surgery. I have people in my life that can help pick up some of the slack while I heal. I’ll get some fun stories out of this. It’s forcing me to rest and relax a bit more. And on and on.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not psyched about living the boot life. But having the right mindset is so important. I can spend this time grumpy and miserable or I can appreciate the goodness in my life.

All things considered, it’s a pretty easy choice.