An Idiot's Guide to Goals

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One of the most common questions I get is how to set goals. Interestingly, it usually comes from people who are way smarter than me. 🤨

There are probably thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of resources on goal setting. I’ve read, listened to, and watched at least 100+ of them. (Not a huge percentage, but given how repetitive the advice can be, I’ve probably covered 99% of what’s out there.) So, let me distill all that into a quick guide, so you can stop binging “how to set goals” videos on YouTube from different creators just to feel productive.

Problem #1: I’m not sure how ambitious I should be?

A lot of people have a clear idea of what they want to achieve, but they often get stuck on how big their goal should be. For example, if you want to increase sales this month—should you aim for 20, 30, 100, or 1000?

In my opinion, the number matters a lot. If you make it too easy, it’s not really a goal, and if it’s too hard, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Say you aim for 1000 but only hit 500 (still impressive), you'll likely feel a bit frustrated.

One framework that works really well for this is Shaan Puri’s “F**k yeah” and Floor Goals.

First, you set a “floor goal”—this is a goal you should be able to hit comfortably. If you fall below this, it means you really didn’t put in the effort, and you’d be disappointed. It’s essentially the floor of your expectations.

Then, you set a “fk yeh” goal. This is the bold, audacious target that would have you celebrating if you hit it. It’s a high bar that gives you permission to aim big. You expect to land somewhere between your floor and fk yeh goal, which lets you feel accomplished without overextending. Oh, and make sure you actually celebrate when you hit those fk yeh goals—pop the champagne, or they lose their point.

Here’s an example of how I set conversion rate goals for our business, using this notation to keep it clear for the team:

Goal: Increase our website conversion rate to {1.5%, 3%} by the end of the quarter.

In this case, 1.5% is the floor goal, and 3% is the fk yeh goal.

For a personal goal, I might set something like this:

Goal: Lose {2, 5} kg by the end of the quarter.

Problem #2 I keep missing my goals? :(

Whenever I miss my goals, it’s usually because I’ve misaligned them—I didn’t have a clear “why,” and, in some cases, I was lying to myself about what’s really important to me.

For example, I’ll set a goal like:

Goal: Build and launch an AI app.

At the time, I thought this was a priority, but I end up focusing on being a CEO, closing deals, and growing the company, so this goal gets pushed aside. I do this a lot!

After a few repetitions of this, I realised the truth: it just wasn’t a real priority for me. We’ve all experienced that feeling of rushing to finish something when the deadline is looming, but for certain goals, we don’t seem to have that same urgency.

The key is to write a clear "why" for each goal and make sure it’s compelling enough to motivate you to follow through.

WHY #1: I think it’ll be fun to build my skill set, and my mentor said AI skills are important.

WHY #2: I’m currently earning minimum wage at a café, but I want to provide for my family with a higher-paying job. AI is on the rise, and I have enough interest to pursue a career in it. Building this app will help me learn, showcase my skills, and get closer to that high-paying, fulfilling job.

I’m not saying the first reason isn’t valid, but your motivations and level of dedication will vary depending on the "why." Focus on the goals where your "why" is strong. You might find that you’re setting goals just because they sound good, without a real priority behind them. Try to link them to something meaningful and create stakes—like telling a few friends, so you have a social incentive. Even if they don’t hold you accountable, you’ll feel the pressure of not wanting to let them down.

Another common mistake is setting ‘output’ goals—those tied to results, like getting 85%+ on a test, losing 10 kg, increasing sales by 10%, closing 20 customers, or raising $2M in funding.

The problem with these goals is that they’re not entirely in your control. You could make 5,000 phone calls and still not close 20 customers if your product isn’t what they need. Or maybe this year’s test was unusually difficult, and the highest score was only 65%. These types of goals can be discouraging because they rely on factors outside of your control.

I now tend to focus on ‘input’ goals—things we can 100% control. These are the actions that need to go right and will likely lead to the desired outcome. For example:

• 85% on a test becomes → Study for 2 hours each day / Complete 500 practice questions

• Lose 10kg becomes → Eat fewer than 2200 calories per day / Walk 10,000 steps daily / Go to the gym 15 times this month

• Increase sales by 10% / Close 20 customers becomes → Test 10 ad creatives / Reach out to 1000 prospects / Attend 50 sales calls

• Raise $2M in funding becomes → Email 100 investors / Get feedback on the pitch deck from 20 people

Notice how all these goals are now 100% within our control. We may or may not hit the desired outcome, but we’ve done our best by focusing on the inputs we set out to accomplish.

Problem #3: How many goal should I have?

The real answer is that it doesn’t matter how many goals you have. What you need to be mindful of is how interrelated your goals are. Most people overlook the trade-offs and how goals can impact each other.

Let me give you an example. Imagine you currently overeat and spend too much time watching Netflix, so you decide to make a radical behaviour change.

• Goal 1: Eat 2300 calories a day for 30 days.

• Goal 2: Read 100 pages of non-fiction daily for 30 days.

While these seem like independent goals, your willpower is actually a finite resource that gets depleted throughout the day. If you're focusing on sticking to the calorie limit, you’ll likely have to resist many tempting food options, draining your willpower. By the time you face the choice between Netflix or reading, you're less likely to succeed on the reading goal because your mental energy is already spent.

For me, it’s not about the number of goals—it’s about managing my energy and mental bandwidth. If I set a health goal that drains my willpower, I’ll balance it with goals that are fun and recharging. For example, one of my goals was to become the best Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master my friends had ever played with. It was fun, didn’t take much willpower, and worked as a great additional goal.

In a company context, you also need to be mindful of how connected your goals are. If you have goals for both conversion rate and revenue, do you really need both? Maybe you’re worried that increasing conversion rates could decrease lifetime value and overall revenue. In that case, do you care more about conversion rate or revenue? What metric truly drives what you want?

Be honest about the focused approach you want for your goals. Just like with personal goals, think about the mental bandwidth and energy required across your team. Fragmenting goals will lead to problems. In my opinion, each team member should have only one goal at a time to maintain focus.

Problem #4: My goals change!

This is totally fine. Goals can evolve as we do. However, if you find yourself changing them frequently, try shortening the timeframes for your goals and really focus on what’s important to you. Check out Problem #2 for tips on setting goals with a strong “why.”

Problem #5: I’m actually not sure if I’m hitting my goals?

If you’re unsure whether you’re hitting your goals, they weren’t specific or trackable enough.

For example, "Improve Sales" is a poor goal—it’s vague, and there's no clear definition of success. Goals should be specific and measurable. A better goal would be, “Send out 100 customer emails by the end of the month.” It’s clear, specific, and actionable.

Goals are only as useful as your ability to track them. If you set a goal to make 100 sales calls but have no system for tracking the calls, the goal is pointless. Personal goals are easier to track manually, but company goals can be tricky without a good dashboard.

Problem #7: Which framework for goals should I use? OKRs, NCTs, BHAGs!?

Honestly, getting stuck on which framework to use is a waste of time. It doesn’t really matter as long as you focus on a few key principles:

• Focus on what you can control (Inputs vs Outputs).

• Set Floor and Fk Yeh goals (so you can be both ambitious and measured).

• Make sure every goal is trackable.

• Keep the number of goals minimal, matching your and your team's mental bandwidth.

Personally, I prefer OKRs because I’m familiar with them, but my recommendation is to use whatever gets the most buy-in from your team. If a method is more memorable, fun, or exciting for the team, go for it. The same principles apply to any framework.

Alright, you now have a PhD in goal-setting. So stop watching all those videos, set some goals, and give it your best shot!

Written By:

Dr. A.J. Goal-Kash, PhD