Why Lofty Goals Are Worth the Risk (Even If You Miss)

Plus a preview of the Skill of Humor Masterlcass

Shout out to those joining us from recent events in Paris, New York, and Scottsdale. Each week I share lessons, insights, and stories to help you work and live happier.

As a kid, I wanted to grow up to become an international superstar. Not just play soccer, but I imagined Messi levels of stardom before he ever waltzed his way into becoming one of the GOATs.

Nevermind that I was way too skinny, didn’t have much of a touch, and instinctively turned my back any time the ball was kicked in my general direction.

Guess which one I am.

I never did become that soccer superstar (surprise!). I didn’t even play in college. But that “superstar goal” pushed me to work harder, show up early, run extra drills, and, eventually, make the varsity team my senior year of high school.

Was it the dream of Messi magic? No. But did the ambition make me better than I would’ve been otherwise? Absolutely.

The Value of Lofty Goals

Lofty goals can inspire us to achieve more than we would otherwise.

Of course, there’s a danger. Set them too high and they can feel demotivating. I could have easily thought, “I’m never going to be Messi or Mbappé, so why even try?”

Or you might fall short and feel disappointed. I only played soccer at the varsity level (and made lifelong friends in the process), but I don’t have any Ballon d'Or awards.

The trick is to aspire for more but be happy if you achieve less. Sure, there may be disappointment from not accomplishing everything, but that’s better than the disappointment (and regret) of not trying at all.

As pheonemal speaker and friend, Phil M. Jones, once told me,

“Create a big enough goal so that even if you fall short, it’s still pretty amazing.”

At Procter & Gamble, we had a term for this. Goals were what we needed to accomplish. Stretch goals were what we aspired to achieve.

They were intentionally lofty, designed to pull us toward better versions of ourselves while still hitting a minumum stand or excellence.

Like the cliché says: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Now, scientifically, that quote is trash. If you miss the moon, you end up drifting into the cold void of space until your oxygen runs out before you ever get close to the sun, let alone any other stars.

But emotionally? It’s spot on.

My Lofty Goal: A Transformative Masterclass

That’s the mindset behind the new Skill of Humor Masterclass we’re launching soon.

The goal is for it to be life-altering, both for the participants and me.

I want people to come away with more joy, more confidence, and better results at work and at home. I want more people to transform their lives with this wildly underappreciated skill just like I did.

And personally, I want to witness (and shepherd) those changes up close.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen the impact learning humor can have on people’s lives through my keynotes, online courses, and puns (okay maybe not this last one). But it’s been at a distance, something I really only learn from emails, comments, and conversations.

I want to see the transformation in real-time, accelerated through hands-on guidance, weekly check-ins, and yes, still puns.

I’ll be honest. This is the first time we're running the program with this level of hands-on interaction and support: live weekly sessions, office hours, and 1on1 coaching. It won’t be perfect. But it will be fun. And I’m committed to improving it until it has a postive impact on every single person who joins.

That’s why the first cohort is going to be intentionally small (capped at 10 people). I’ll be sharing full details soon. But if you already know you want to reserve your spot in line, learn more about the course here.

Lofty goals do give us something to strive for. And striving, even imperfectly, still beats settling.

So what’s your lofty goal? And if you’re curious about mine, now you know where to look.

-Andrew

PS. I once had a New Year’s resolution to do Yoga everyday, it was my stretch goal.