Think Big, Absurdly Big!

The United Nations General Assembly is underway. It provides a unique forum for global action on issues such as racism, inequality, climate change, poverty, armed conflict, and other global challenges. Every year, we listen to delegates from the 193 Member States express bold ideas, but every now and again, we see someone pursuing such big goals that the world is changed forever. This is the case of a group of farsighted women delegates from various countries led by Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1948 dreamt bigger than anybody else and got the UN to proclaim the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . It has become the most important document in terms of what should be considered the minimum standard for human dignity and equality. More than 80 international conventions and treaties, as well as several regional agreements and domestic laws, have been inspired by it.

Thinking big to achieve big goals seems obvious, straightforward, even easy. So, why don’t we always do it? Why do we often settle for simpler achievements instead? I have noticed three key reasons for this: fear, our attitude toward setbacks and the ease with which we lose focus. Let’s address each of them separately.

In “The Magic of Thinking Big ” David Schwartz argues that the most significant roadblock to high-level success is the belief that a major accomplishment is out of reach. Some of the feelings elicited by the far-fetched goal are interpreted by our brain as indications of a possibly harmful circumstance, one that could bring along judgement, rejection, failure, discontent, and loss of control. The common reaction is to avoid it by refocusing on smaller objectives or, in a more extreme case, by doing nothing at all. The greatest challenge with fear is that it overrides our intelligence thus preventing us from capitalizing on opportunities.

Now, moving forward toward big goals doesn’t always follow a straight line. It is full of obstacles and setbacks that throw us off track and that frequently make us feel as if we are moving backwards. People who are less emotionally resilient have a harder time dealing with obstacles because they believe that failures are due to forces beyond their control, such as chance or fate (i.e., their “locus of control” is external). According to Utah State University , common behaviors caused by an external locus of control include blaming, excessive anger, resentment, withdrawal, and denial of a problem. Whether we believe the outcomes of our activities are determined by what we do or not, it is clear that the wrong response to setbacks can make big goals unattainable.

The focus topic is no less important. Many of you may be watching news, sending emails, listening to an audio book, scrolling through your social media feed, and, why not, actively participating in group chats while reading this article. Jim Kwik author of “Limitless ” notes that we consume as much information in a single day as someone in the 1400s would in his entire lifetime. You would probably say that this “devil-made technology” is causing you to get distracted. No, you wouldn’t have a point. In “Indistractable ”, Nir Eyal highlights that removing technology from our lives doesn’t bring back the focus needed to achieve our goals. This is because we are likely to replace one distractor with another as the root of our behavior is tied to relieving the discomfort that a daunting challenge triggers.

These authors have a lot to say about how to overcome the previously-mentioned limitations. For Schwartz, action cures fear. It needs to be accompanied by a strong belief that we can do it. The “OK, I’ll give it a try but I don’t think it will work” attitude leads to failures, undermines confidence and strengthens fear. Also, we need to concentrate on our assets and remind ourselves regularly that we are better than we think we are. To be important, we must think we are important. This is because our thoughts determine our actions, and our actions determine how people react to us.

As for the natural setbacks when chasing big goals, he suggests for us not wait until conditions are perfect. They’ll never be. We shall think in terms of now. Tomorrow, next week, later, and other similar terms are frequently employed to postpone action and prevent failure. And when we make mistakes, we just pick ourselves up and move on. Important: don't let individuals with small minds hold you back. People that are envious of you want to see you fail. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

For Eyal, the first step in overcoming distraction is to identify the unpleasant feelings that precede our desire to engage in a sidetracking behavior. He then offers a couple of options after this has occurred. To begin, envision our thoughts and feelings as leaves drifting down a stream, and observe them without interfering. Second, to persuade ourselves that it's fine to give in to our want, but that we will do so in 10 minutes (and of course never follow through).

To this point, I've argued that big thinking is required to achieve major objectives. Is this, however, to say that little goals have no place in our lives? Not at all. On the contrary, the secret to big success seems to rely on small goal-setting too. Harvard Business Review points out that the way to achieving big is to start small — through micro habits. By breaking down a difficult task into smaller, more manageable tasks that we build over time, micro habits help us complete big goals. With that in mind, consider these five steps for getting started: 1) identify a micro habit, 2) perform it at the same time as an action you already do on a daily basis, 3) track your progress, 4) stick with it for a long time and then increase it by a just tiny bit, and 5) seek help in holding you accountable.

So, let’s start thinking big. No no, really big. Again…no. By big I mean the level where we feel our goal is absurd. That’s precisely what we need to aim for. The size of our success is determined by how big we think. If we manage to control our fears, have the right reaction to setbacks, keep our focus and use micro habits to our advantage, we will be on the right track to achieving great things. Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”.

Author: Esteban Polidura, CFA. September 25, 2021.