Why Big Goals Might Be Holding You Back (And What to Focus on Instead)

Hi friend,

We often hear that big goals are the key to success—set massive targets, aim high, and push yourself beyond your limits. But is that always the best approach?

What if the secret to success isn’t setting bigger goals, but avoiding the wrong ones?

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on a different perspective: Anti-Goals and Process-Driven Goals.

💡 What Are Anti-Goals?

Instead of asking, “What do I want to achieve?”, anti-goals start with the question:
👉 What do I absolutely want to avoid?

For example:
❌ I don’t want to be constantly stressed and overwhelmed.
❌ I don’t want to wake up dreading my work every day.
❌ I don’t want to sacrifice health, family, or faith for short-term success.

By defining what you don’t want, you create guardrails that prevent burnout and misalignment.

💡 Big Goals vs. Process Goals

Many people focus on outcome-based goals:
📍 “I want to make X money.”
📍 “I want to hit X followers.”
📍 “I want to lose X kg.”

But these are just lagging indicators—they don’t tell you what to do today.

Instead, process-driven goals focus on daily actions:
✅ “I will write and publish every day.”
✅ “I will do deep work for 3 hours daily.”
✅ “I will exercise 5x per week.”

By shifting focus from the outcome to the system, results become a natural byproduct of consistency.

💡 The 1% Rule – Why Small Wins Matter

James Clear, in Atomic Habits, shares:
"If you get 1% better every day for a year, you’ll be 37 times better by the end of the year."

Most people set massive goals, burn out, and quit. The real secret? Micro-progress.

📌 Today’s Atomic Essay

📌 Your Turn

Are you chasing big goals—or optimizing your daily process?
What’s one anti-goal you can define today?

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♻️ Repost to help others rethink goal setting.
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