Do you know that it is alright to set unrealistic goals? In fact, it is not about whether your goals are realistic or unrealistic, rather, it is about whether you are being realistic or not.
Let me give you an example. If you want to make $100,000 in a day, do you think you can do it? Well, if you are just an ordinary employee working in a small firm, then this may not be a realistic goal.
But, try to tell this to people like Jeff Bezos or Warren Buffett. To these extraordinary people, the goal of making $100,000 a month is absolutely realistic.
Thus, whether your goal is realistic or unrealistic, it depends on who you are, not so much about your goals.
In my previous article, Setting Realistic VS Unrealistic Goals, I have shared the advantages and disadvantages for both realistic and unrealistic goals. You might want to read the article to get a clearer picture of your goals.
Now, should you set unrealistic goals?
One of the most common goals that people want to achieve is to be financially free. And when it comes to living a financially successful life, a lot of people will think about making a million dollars or becoming a millionaire.
There is nothing wrong with this goal, but you have to gauge if this goal is realistic or unrealistic to you.
So, should you set unrealistic goals, and can you really achieve them?
To answer this question, you need to answer these 3 questions below:
1. Are you willing to think outside the box and come out with a creative solution/plan?
For you to achieve an unrealistic goal, you must be willing to think outside the box and use the extraordinary method.
If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the same old results. Nothing is going to change.
Hence, to achieve something different, something unrealistic, you need to use a totally different approach.
It is only when you are willing to do something differently, the results you get will change.
Don’t just say that you want to become a millionaire, but none of the things and actions that you do are leading you toward that direction.
You must do the things that will get you to your goals. Don’t just say or think about it. And more importantly, your strategy must be compatible with your goal.
If you want to make a 7-figure income a year, highly likely, working for someone else isn’t going to work. Most people who successfully made a 7-figure income are investors and entrepreneurs. They don’t make this kind of income from their job.
Therefore, you must ask yourself if your solution or plan can get you to your goals. This is especially important if your goals are unrealistic.
So, ask yourself are you willing to think outside the box and do something different? If you don’t, then most likely, you will fail at your goals.
Read: 6 Exciting Ways to Start Thinking Outside the Box
2. Are you willing to venture beyond your comfort zone and do something different?
The second question you need to ask yourself is whether you are willing to venture beyond your comfort zone and do something different?
First, you must find out if your plan is viable and compatible to get you the results that you want, then, you must ask yourself if you are willing to do the work.
Most people understand that in order to earn a 7-figure income a year, they must start their own business and eventually, quit their job. But most of them are not willing to do it.
Why? The reason is simple, they are afraid, and they worry about the uncertainty. They have too many doubts such as if they can survive after they quit their job, what if things happen and their business fails, and they wonder if they have the knowledge and skills to make it all work.
Nobody has the answer and there is only one way to figure out, which is to do it.
How do you know if you are capable to manage your business? How do you know if your business is going to succeed? The only way to find out is to take action and do it.
Therefore, you must be willing to go beyond your comfort zone and do the difficult things.
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
You have to let go of your older self in order to grow into someone better. You are where you are right now because of who you are – your thinking, your beliefs, your characters, etc.
And to achieve greater success and reach your goals, you must transform and become someone who is worthy of the success you desire.
Don’t be afraid to let go of the good to go for the great.
3. Are there any success cases where you can replicate and model?
No matter what kind of unrealistic goals you want to achieve, most likely, there will be someone else who has already achieved it.
So, you want to be a millionaire? Someone has done it before. What about becoming a billionaire? Well, there are many billionaires out there where you can learn from them.
The point is that you have to find out who has accomplished what you want and replicate their success. You want to model their strategy so that you can shortcut your learning curve and get the results you want.
Do you want to make interstellar travel possible? Do you want to live on Mars? Well, Elon Musk is on his way doing that. You can learn from him if that is your goal too.
What I want to share with you is that most of the goals that you want to achieve, regardless of whether they are realistic or unrealistic, someone else has already achieved them before.
Thus, what you need to do is to learn from them. See what they do and then replicate their strategies and results.
For instance, if you want to become a millionaire investing through stock investment, study all the successful investors. See what they do and then formulate a plan and do it.
If most of the financially successful people are running their own business, then perhaps, starting your own business is a good move.
The fundamentals of achieving your goals and becoming successful are the same. You don’t have to defy gravity, you just need to learn how to make the most out of it.
See what other successful people are doing, replicate their success.
Should you set unrealistic goals?
After going through these 3 questions, I bet you have an answer whether you should set unrealistic goals and go for it.
Remember, it is not so much about your goals, but rather, it is more about what you are willing to do to achieve your goals.
You need to be creative and come up with a great solution to achieve a great goal. I like the phrase, “desperate times call for desperate measures.”
To achieve an unrealistic goal, you must use an unrealistic approach.
So, stop being normal if you want to be successful. Do something different, do something that will make you uncomfortable, and do something that will surprise the normal people.
If you want to learn more about goal setting and how to achieve your goals, check out my Goal Setting Formula masterclass here.