Your goals may be your undoing

One neuroscientist calls these “BUT” goals that you devise on your daily or weekly to-do lists. They set you up to fail, and they are

❌ Big

❌ Un-fun

❌ Time-boxed

Your brain loves it when you break big goals down into small tasks. It allows you to engage the progress loop which means even the smallest success generates the dopamine your brain needs to make you feel good about what you’ve done. Then it motivates you to do the next small task.

Some professionals have learned to gamify their tasks so that they have a reward to look forward to when they’ve completed that task. It doesn’t have to be big, just something to make you smile or feel some sense of accomplishment. You can also do the work to music or engage something else that might make the work fun,

When a goal is time-boxed it makes you feel boxed in just thinking about it, or your feel pressed or rushed. As yourself “what makes this so urgent?” Then begin to unravel what’s boxing you in. Sometimes, it is self inflicted. Show yourself grace.

All of the BUTS can make you feel overwhelmed, and usually you will find yourself saying: ” I planned to run 2 miles today BUT… [insert what happened instead).”

Chances are that the goal you set was actually setting you up to fail.

Get on my calendar for a free strategy session if you would like to see about developing goals that will set you up to win instead.

The link to do so is in my profile.