But the truth that nobody really tells you is that goals are pretty overrated. At the 100 metre Olympic final, all 10 runners have the same goal of winning gold but only one will be crowned the winner. So the goal itself isn't as important as we make out and it certainly isn't the deciding factor between success and failure.
Here are some plausible reasons why goals are overrated and why they can actually be problematic. The hedonic treadmill is based on the idea that when humans achieve a longer-awaited goal, after the initial high, they soon return to the baseline level of happiness. So no matter how many cars you buy or how many holidays you go on, after the short-term spike in dopamine, you'll eventually return to your normal level of happiness.
And then you'll find yourself chasing an even bigger goal to get your next hit of dopamine. And like this, the hedonic treadmill continues and the destination never really arrives. Most goals are externally focused.
A lot of emphasis is put on obtaining an object or achieving the target. For example, achieving a certain grade or being promoted at work. This not only creates extra pressure but also delays your happiness until you've achieved the goal.
Also, over 90% of people don't stick to their new year's resolutions. So if your happiness solely depends on you achieving your goals, then chances are you're setting yourself up for disappointment. But let's suppose you're in the top 10% and do happen to achieve your goal.
Even then, you'll be back on the hedonic treadmill, chasing the next shiny object, delaying your happiness even further. So what should we do instead? Well, my proposal is forget about all your output goals and set input goals instead. Rather than making the end result the goal, make the process the goal itself.
For example, my output goal could be to hit 100,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel. A goal which I have very little control over. Or a more constructive goal could be to upload one video per week, which is entirely in my control.
By consistently achieving your input goals, the output will take care of itself. And more importantly, happiness and fulfilment comes from doing the very thing, rather than waiting for the end result. For example, when we're dancing, we don't wait for the song to be over.
We're just fully immersed in the moment. So why don't we have the same approach when it comes to our life? Once you've truly understood this, you no longer need a goal to create art, because you've become the artist.