How to Set Audacious Goals

I was inspired by Charlene Li’s take, in her Leading Disruption letter, on setting audacious versus attainable goals.?

“That’s the difference it makes: even if your goal is impossibly audacious, merely aiming for it will change the way you do things. And that ensures that you’re making a greater impact — and bringing yourself closer to that high goal — than aiming for something achievable.”

It’s exhilarating to feel you’re making progress doing something too hard.

Setting goals that feel out of reach is the key to real growth. When you aim really high you change how you approach problems, push past your comfort zone, and unlock potential you didn’t even know you had. Audacious goals keep you engaged, challenged, and on a path of continuous growth.?

We explored how this works with Jake, a recent college graduate. This time we'll lean about David.

David: Reinventing After Being Laid Off

Audacious Goal: Transition to a completely new industry and double his previous salary within five years.

David had worked in the same industry for a decade when he was unexpectedly laid off. He decided to make the best of the situation and aim for something even bigger.

Steps to Get There:

• He identified his transferable skills, figured out the gaps he needed to fill in for his new industry and acquired industry-specific knowledge.
• He took online certifications and a class to fill skill gaps.
• He reached out to professionals in the target field through LinkedIn and his college alumni network for informational interviews.
• He took a lower-paying role in the new industry to gain experience.

Failure: His first job in the new industry felt like a step back. He had to limit his spending for a year. He struggled with impostor syndrome and initially underperformed.

Eventual Success: Instead of giving up, David found a mentor through his alumni network developed. They helped him identify a specialty within his new field. He asked for projects that focused on this specialty. The team he worked most often with became friendly. In year four he found, applied for and landed a high-paying role, exceeding his original salary goal in year five.