Stop setting ridiculously high goals

"If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success."
- James Cameron


Yes, and you will also beat yourself up for never achieving it.

In contrast, if you do not have incredible vision (ridiculously high goals) then you can also fall too easily into just comforting yourself for being average. Or it is ok that you have not really done "anything" with your life.

Much better to set ridiculously high goals, honestly work towards them by breaking it down into daily doable goals (as well as medium term goals). This way if you set a goal to be a world renowned neurosurgeon graduated from Harvard then you may just only get a college degree in biochemistry.

Outrageous goals are worthless until you break them down into medium and short term goals. This way you are accomplishing something worthwhile almost every day! (Hey, take some time off once in a while and screw around.)

On the other side it is important to not beat yourself up in anyway if you fall short. Forgive yourself for not becoming a world renowned neurosurgeon graduated from Harvard by yesterday. Setting ridiculously high goals almost automatically produces the expectation to have achieved it. Screw that! Forgive yourself and reward yourself appropriately.

You have to tie rewards to the level of goal you achieve:
A small goal = a small reward
A medium goal = a medium reward
A large goal = a large reward

Too large a reward for a small goal means, "You are done" to yourself. Too small a reward for a large goal means, "You won't ever make it" to yourself. Take care of yourself.

Oh, by the way, anybody else remember that James Cameron was homeless at one point in his life?