I created an easy to use and remember model that combines all the elements of goal setting. I call it the Lily Pad Theory. Imagine you're a little frog standing on your lily pad. You strain your eyes to see the lily pad across the pond. It's hazy and seems so far, the distance is demotivating. This is often the case when comparing where you are, to where you want to be.
Goal setting research shows that focusing on an outcome goal (lily pad across the pond) decreases motivation. Once established, the outcome goal doesn’t need much attention. Set it and forget it. Instead, figure out the steps needed to get there from where you are now. The steps you decide are necessary to reach the outcome goal are the intermediate lily pads. These are process goals.
Suppose you have an outcome goal of losing 10 pounds. The time and effort you imagine it would take is demotivating. One pound equals 3,500 calories, so you would need a deficit of 35,000 calories to reach your goal. Forget that, right? That lily pad is waaaaaayyyyyyy across the pond. You don’t have to muster the energy and motivation to lose 10 pounds. Just get to the gym tomorrow. If you fail, then you go the next day. It’s simple.
To reach the outcome goal, that lily-pad across the pond, simply stick to the process. Apply this model to your goals. Maybe it’s adding weight to your bench, improving your serving percentage, or shaving a second off your time. It all works the same way. Focus on the process and do what needs to be done today. The outcome will take care of itself.
Be specific about your outcome goals and make sure you have a timeline in mind. When things are difficult, you fall to the level of the system you build. You must build the right system. Jot your lily-pads down on paper. Draw in the lily pad across the pond that represents your outcome goal. Draw in the lily pads that will get you there. Make notes, doodle, and be creative. The more parts of your brain you engage the better! Attach things like what, when, where, with who, and how many times into the intermediate lily pads. The more specific these process goals are, the better. Outcome goals fail as consistent motivators because it’s hard to track progress. You meander toward your goals with no idea where you are. You are subject to highs, lows, and emotional thinking that derail progress.
The intermediate lily pads offer incremental assessment and feedback. You are always aware of where you are in the process relative to where you started. You master the lily-pad you’re on, then move to the next. By focusing on the process, you know if you went to the gym today or not. You also know how you talked yourself into or out of going. Small failures like this are noticed and can be managed on the spot.
