GOALS

Podcast Version
(With NotebookLM AI)

Goals: The Double-Edged Sword in the Formula of Success

“You’ll never hit a target you can’t see. But you’ll never grow if the target is always within reach.”

​In the Formula of Success — (Preparation × Vision × Courage) + Luck – Goals, goals are both a compass and a scoreboard. They guide your direction and measure your outcomes. But here's the catch: not all goals are created equal.

Some goals sharpen your focus like a laser. Others stretch your imagination and light a fire in your gut. But if set poorly, goals can backfire, creating stress, false expectations, or a warped view of success. The stress tied to your goals must be optimal,  enough to drive performance, not derail it.

Let’s break down how to use goals the right way, based on where you are in your success journey.

SMART Goals vs. Dreams: Focusing vs. Inspiring

Dreams are why you begin.
They’re aspirational, often vague, and even slightly delusional by design. They stretch you. Think JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon or a Steve Jobs' vision to reinvent the computing industry. These fuel your COURAGE to ignite. They energize teams, create legacy, and fuel resilience when luck runs dry.

SMART goals are how you win.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound actions are designed to focus attention and energy. They’re performance checkboxes. Practical. Tactical. Grounded. Ideal when you're in the PREPARATION mode or executing your strategy. They keep you honest and on track.

Setting the right kind of goal depends on where you are in your success journey. The key is knowing when to dream and when to lock it down. Stay in dreamland too long, and your goals can become unreachable fantasies. That’s where your formula fails: (PxVxC)+L–G collapses when “G” becomes too heavy. You are more likely not going to succeed .

Therefore, it is important be realistic about your goal and keep your dream as a stretch ambition, to keep the fire burning and the compass firm.

“The secret to happiness (Success) is low expectations." (Barry Schwartz)

The Goal Decision Tree: Know Your Phase

Success isn’t binary, win or lose. It’s a process of progress. The trick? Break down big goals into sub-goals. Make each step small enough to win  and big enough to matter.

The benefit of this approach is that each goals is smaller and more achievable, it allows you to grow your preparation, vision and courage and not have to take a leap-of-faith.

Enter the Goal Decision Tree:

1. Start with a realistic end goal.
2. Identify the critical sub-goals required to get there.
3. Drill deeper breaking down the sub-goals in more actionable and short term sub-goals until the next action feels challenging, but achievable in the near future and you can define how to get there.

This layered approach lets you build Preparation, Vision, and Courage without taking massive leaps. Along the way, you’ll discover that certain sub-goals unlock multiple outcomes. Those are your high-impact moves. Start there.

With every small win, you fuel motivation and momentum. That’s the magic of compounding clarity.

Don’t forget: It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!
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BONUS TIPS COACH GLENN:

1. Triathletes: Set SMART goals for each sport incremental over time (e.g., improve swim FTP by 5% over 6 weeks), but keep high, realistic ambitions for season goals (e.g., podium finish or finish the Ironman).
2. Executives: Infuse your team with bold visions of the future that inspire purpose beyond KPIs, but use SMART goals to guide daily actions, guide weekly execution and quarterly accountability.
3. Reflection tip: Once a quarter, ask yourself: “Is my goal still exciting and realistic?” If not, tweak the goals to keep the motivation high. Better to redefine success to keep moving, even slowly, than to grind to a halt. You may be able to accelerate again in the next phase.

​Share this blog/newsletter with your friends, family, and colleagues who are also pursuing a sportier and healthier lifestyle!