Dreams vs. Goals
There are a lot of great quotes about the difference between dreams and goals.
Here are some of my favorites:
A goal is a dream with a deadline.
Napoleon Hill
A goal without a deadline is just a dream.
(attributed to at least 3 different people)
A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.
Harvey MacKay
The basic message boils down to one idea: deadlines.
Without a deadline, it could take you forever to achieve your goal. That is, if you ever achieve it at all.
With a deadline, your motivation goes up. Your drive, determination, and grit go up. You work harder. You try harder.
There’s something about deadlines that changes people. With a deadline coming up, your thoughts, your emotions, and your physiology all are altered. Deadlines make people feel more energetic, more focused, and sometimes more worried too! When the deadline gets close though, that worry often turns to action.
Deadlines Change Your Emotional State
Compare these pairs of statements and notice how each one makes you feel:
I’m going to quit my job.
I’m quitting my job 2 weeks from today.
I’ll start a podcast.
I’ll record my first podcast episode 48 hours from now.
I’m finishing this report.
I’m finishing this report for tomorrow’s 8am meeting.
I’m asking my boss for a raise.
I’m asking my boss for a raise at 4pm on Thursday.
If you’re like most people, the first statement doesn’t cause much of an emotional reaction. The second statement in each pair makes you sit up and take notice. Having a deadline forces you to come up with a plan to actually do the thing you’re saying you’re going to do.
T is for Timed
Whenever you set a goal, make sure you add the element of time to that goal. Give yourself a deadline. Better yet, have that deadline imposed on you by outside forces.
In the SMARTER Goals system, having an ending time for reaching the goal is an essential step. That deadline will change everything.
