Moving the goal posts

Going 1099, especially if it's your first entrepreneurial endeavor, feels empowering.

You took the initiative and achieved some important goals like earning more money or working less or even just getting on a more interesting project.

The feeling is intoxicating, and you will be tempted to set even more ambitious goals.

There is nothing wrong with becoming more ambitious, but the downside is you may get into the habit of moving the goal posts.

Moving the goal posts occurs when you hit a goal, don't feel satisfied, and then just set a harder goal for yourself.

You set a goal of going 1099 and feel great. Then you think you should set a goal of increasing your rate another $20/hour. You do it. It feels good for a month. Then you set another goal for another $20/hour and so on and so on.

The thing is, you get to a point of diminishing returns and you feel tired. It takes a lot of energy to endlessly pursue goals, particularly if they are just different degrees of the same goal.

To avoid this trap, you must regularly interrogate yourself about why you're setting that goal.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you set a goal:

• Will achieving this goal help me do something specific?
  • Example: If you get a higher billable rate, you save up enough money to self-fund a six month maternity/paternity leave?
• Is there a specific feeling I'm chasing by achieving this goal? Is that specific feeling reasonable? Is there another way to achieve that feeling?
  • Example: Will making $400,000 a year finally let me show that jerk in high school that I am successful? Should I just learn to let go of that resentment?
• Am I willing to pay the price to achieve that goal?
  • Example: To achieve a $200/hour billable rate I will need to commute an extra hour per day, deal with an aggressive client, and spend less time with my family. Is that worth it?

Doing this analysis can save you a lot of wasted motion and filter out the goals that won't meaningfully improve your life.

Feel free to move the goal posts, just do so with a clear head and always leave yourself the option to play a different game entirely.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.