Goal Obsession

Perhaps one small flaw or behavior we barely even recognize is the only thing that’s keeping us from where we want to be. In his book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”, Marshall Goldsmith has a “to stop” list rather than one listing what “to do”. This “to stop” list is designed to help us overcome our unconscious annoying habits and become more successful. Here’s one habit we can strive to overcome.

Goal obsession turns us into someone we shouldn’t be.

Goal obsession is one of those paradoxical traits we accept as a driver of our success. It’s the force that motivates us to finish the job in the face of any obstacle — and finish it perfectly. A valuable attribute much of the time. But taken too far, it can become a blatant cause of failure.

In its broadest form, goal obsession is the force at play when we get so wrapped up in achieving our goal that we do it at the expense of a larger mission.

It comes from misunderstanding what we want in our lives. We think we’d be truly happy if only we make more money, or lost 30 pounds, or got the corner office. So we pursue these goals relentlessly. What we don’t appreciate until much later is that in obsessing about making money, we might be neglecting the loves ones or harm our body or trample upon colleagues at work. We start out with a road map heading in one direction but end up in the wrong town.

It also comes from misunderstanding what others want us to do. The boss says we have to show 10% revenue growth for the year. When it appears we will miss the target, goal obsession forces us to adopt questionable, less than honest methods of hitting the target. If you examine it more closely, we’re not really obsessed with hitting the 10% growth; our true goal is pleasing our boss. The only problem is that we either don’t see this or refuse to admit it to ourselves. Is it any wonder our values get mixed up? Goal obsession has warped our sense of what is right or wrong.

As a result, in our dogged pursuit of our goals we forget our manners. We’re nice to people if they can help us hit our goal. We push them out of the way if they’re not useful to us. Without meaning to, we can become self-absorbed schemers.

Goal obsession is not a flaw. It’s a creator of flaws. It’s one thing to pursue your dreams — but not if that pursuit turns a dream into a nightmare.

Our quest for a successful outcome may end up doing more harm than good to our organisations, our families, and ourselves.

The solution is simple, but not easy. You have to step back, take a breath, and look. And survey the conditions that are making you obsessed with the wrong goals.

Ask yourself: When are you under time pressure? Or in a hurry? Or doing something that you have been told is important? Or have people depending upon you?

Probable answer: All the time. These are the classic conditions of the goal obsessed. Consider “What am I doing” and, “Why am I doing this?”

Ask yourself, “Am I achieving a task — and forgetting my organisation’s mission?” Are you making money to support your family — and forgetting the family that you are trying to support? Are you on time to deliver a sermon to your staff — and forgetting to practice what you’re preaching?

After all this effort and display of professional prowess, you don’t want to find yourself at a dead end, asking, “What have I done?”