🎯 Setting Reasonable Goals

"This year, I'm going to lose 30 kg, write a book, learn three languages, start a side business, and wake up at 5 AM every day."

We've all set goals like this. Ambitious, exciting, motivating... for about two weeks. Then reality hits. The goals were unreasonable. We fail. We feel guilty. We give up.

The problem isn't ambition—it's the gap between aspiration and reality. Unreasonable goals demotivate. Reasonable goals drive consistent progress and actual achievement.

This guide teaches you how to set goals that are challenging enough to inspire growth but reasonable enough to actually achieve.

Why Most Goals Fail

Reason #1: They're Too Ambitious

"I'm going to work out 2 hours every day" sounds great. But you currently work out zero days per week. The gap is too large. You fail immediately and quit.

Reason #2: They're Vague

"Get healthier," "be more productive," "improve skills"—what do these actually mean? Without specificity, you can't measure progress or know when you've succeeded.

Reason #3: They're Not Time-Bound

"Someday I'll learn Spanish." When is someday? Without deadlines, goals become wishes. Wishes don't get done.

Reason #4: Too Many at Once

Fifteen goals for the year = zero goals achieved. Limited willpower and time means you must prioritize. Trying to change everything at once guarantees you change nothing.

Reason #5: No Tracking or Accountability

Goals set and forgotten. No tracking of progress. No accountability. Result: "Oh yeah, I was supposed to do that... next year for sure!"

What Makes a Goal "Reasonable"?

A reasonable goal is challenging but achievable within your current constraints (time, resources, skills, commitments).

Reasonable goals are:

• ✓ Based on reality: Consider your actual available time and resources
• ✓ Progressive: Build on current levels, don't require massive leaps
• ✓ Specific: Clear what success looks like
• ✓ Measurable: Can track progress objectively
• ✓ Flexible: Can adjust as circumstances change
• ✓ Motivating: Inspire action, not paralysis

The SMART Framework (Done Right)

You've heard of SMART goals. But most people use it wrong. Here's how to actually apply it:

S = Specific

Not: "Get better at time management"
But: "Use time tracking software to identify and eliminate 5 hours of wasted time per week"

Specific means answering: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

M = Measurable

Not: "Improve team productivity"
But: "Increase team productivity by 20% as measured by projects completed per month"

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. Define the metric upfront.

A = Achievable

This is where "reasonable" comes in. Is this possible given your constraints?

Not: "Launch 52 new products this year" (when you've never launched even one)
But: "Launch 1 new product this year" (stretch but possible)

R = Relevant

Does this goal actually matter? Does it align with your bigger objectives?

Not: "Learn juggling" (cool but irrelevant to your work/life goals)
But: "Learn public speaking" (directly relevant to career growth)

T = Time-Bound

Set a deadline. Not "someday"—a specific date.

Not: "Eventually increase revenue"
But: "Increase revenue by 15% by December 31, 2025"

How to Set Reasonable Goals: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Start with "Why"

Before setting any goal, understand why it matters.

• What's the real motivation?
• What will achieving this enable?
• What happens if I don't achieve this?

Goals without strong "why" get abandoned when they become difficult (which they always do).

Step 2: Assess Your Current Reality

Where are you now? Be honest.

• Current level: What's your starting point?
• Available time: How many hours per week can you actually dedicate?
• Resources: What do you have/need?
• Constraints: What limitations exist?

Step 3: Use the 10% Rule

A good rule of thumb: increase by ~10% from your current baseline.

• Currently complete 10 projects/quarter → Goal: 11 projects/quarter
• Currently billable 20 hours/week → Goal: 22 hours/week
• Currently run 0 km/week → Goal: Walk/run 2 km/week (100%+ is okay when starting from zero)

10% is small enough to be achievable, large enough to matter.

Step 4: Break It Down

Big goals feel overwhelming. Break them into smaller milestones.

Now you have actionable monthly targets instead of one overwhelming annual number.

Step 5: Identify Required Actions

What specific behaviors/actions will move you toward the goal?

Step 6: Set Up Tracking

You can't manage what you don't measure. Set up a system to track progress.

• What will you track? The specific metric
• How often? Daily, weekly, monthly check-ins
• Where? Spreadsheet, app, notebook, dashboard

Step 7: Build in Flexibility

Life happens. Goals need flexibility or they'll be abandoned at the first obstacle.

Build in buffer:

• Goal is "12 months" → Plan for 14 months (allows for setbacks)
• Goal is "every week" → Accept that 80% completion (42 out of 52 weeks) is still success

Examples: Unreasonable → Reasonable Goals

Fitness Example

Unreasonable: "Go to gym 6 days per week starting Monday" (currently go 0 days)
Reasonable: "Go to gym 2 days per week for next 3 months, then reassess"

Work Example

Unreasonable: "Triple revenue this year"
Reasonable: "Increase revenue by 30% this year by acquiring 15 new clients"

Learning Example

Unreasonable: "Become fluent in Japanese by December"
Reasonable: "Complete beginner Japanese course and learn 500 basic words by December"

Productivity Example

Unreasonable: "Eliminate all wasted time immediately"
Reasonable: "Reduce wasted time from 10 hours/week to 5 hours/week over next quarter"

Common Goal-Setting Mistakes

Mistake #1: Setting Goals Based on Others

Your colleague runs marathons, so you decide to run a marathon—even though you hate running. Set goals based on your values and situation, not someone else's.

Mistake #2: All-or-Nothing Thinking

"I missed one gym session, I've failed, might as well quit." No. Missing one session is not failure. Quitting because of one miss is failure. Progress isn't linear.

Mistake #3: Not Adjusting When Circumstances Change

Your situation changes (new job, health issue, family obligation). The goal that was reasonable in January is no longer reasonable in June. That's okay—adjust the goal.

Mistake #4: Focusing Only on Outcome Goals

Outcome goals ("lose 10 kg") are important, but you don't directly control outcomes. Focus on process goals ("work out 3x/week, eat vegetables at every meal"). Control the inputs, outcomes follow.

Mistake #5: No Accountability

Goals kept secret are easily abandoned. Share your goals with someone who will check in on your progress.

How to Stay Motivated

Strategy #1: Track Small Wins

Celebrate progress, not just completion. Each milestone reached is worth acknowledging.

Strategy #2: Visualize Progress

Use charts, graphs, progress bars—something visual that shows improvement over time. Seeing progress motivates continued effort.

Strategy #3: Focus on "Why" When It Gets Hard

When motivation wanes (it will), revisit your original "why." Why did this matter? What will achieving it enable?

Strategy #4: Build Streaks

"Don't break the chain." Track consecutive days/weeks of progress. The streak itself becomes motivating.

Strategy #5: Review and Adjust Regularly

Weekly: Did I make progress this week?
Monthly: Am I on track? Do I need to adjust?
Quarterly: Is this goal still relevant? What have I learned?

When to Adjust (or Abandon) Goals

Sometimes the reasonable thing is to change or drop a goal.

Adjust When:

• Circumstances change significantly
• The goal was based on flawed assumptions
• You've learned new information that changes priorities
• Progress is happening but slower than planned

Abandon When:

• The goal no longer aligns with your values/priorities
• The cost (time, money, stress) outweighs the benefit
• You set it for the wrong reasons (external pressure, ego)
• Another opportunity is more valuable

Abandoning a goal isn't failure—it's wisdom. Better to invest time in goals that truly matter.

Conclusion

Unreasonable goals demotivate. Reasonable goals drive sustained progress and achievement.

The key is finding the sweet spot: challenging enough to inspire growth, achievable enough to maintain motivation. Not too easy (no growth), not too hard (inevitable failure).

Start with where you are now. Increase by ~10%. Break it down. Track progress. Adjust as needed. Celebrate wins along the way.

You don't need to transform your entire life overnight. You need consistent progress on goals that actually matter. That's how lasting change happens.