Achieve Any Goal Using This Simple Framework

Setting goals is something we all do, whether it’s on a yearly, quarterly, monthly or weekly basis.

Our aspirations are what drive us to improve and achieve more in life. Yet, despite our best intentions, turning these goals into reality often proves challenging.

At the outset, we are filled with enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose. We set big goals and become excited about a reality where we’ve already achieved them.

However, as time goes by, various obstacles begin to surface.

Our initial burst of motivation dips, leaving us feeling less driven. Procrastination creeps in, causing us to delay important actions.

Before we know it, the path to achieving our goals becomes unclear, our goals become blurry, and we eventually lose sight of our objectives altogether.

Why does this happen?

For most people, it’s either one of 2 reasons:

1. Not Having a Clear Plan

Many people set goals that are too vague. They have goals like “To get fit” or “To be more productive” and stop at that.

Although these goals are admirable aims, they’re not clear enough.

How are you going to be more productive? What are the actions you’ll take in order to be fit?

Without the specifics of how you’ll attain the goal (the specific actions that you need to do on a daily basis that will enable you to achieve the goal) it becomes only an abstract idea.

Without a structured action plan, it’s not only difficult to know what to do, but it’s also impossible to track your progress.

2. Not Accounting for Obstacles

In everyday life, interruptions are inevitable, and you’ll encounter unexpected situations that divert your attention away from your goals.

Obstacles can be anything from a lack of motivation, being under the weather, or simply having other more urgent engagements.

Although we know this to be true, many people fail to account for these situations when setting goals.

Failing to anticipate and plan for obstacles can lead to setbacks. When unexpected challenges arise, they can derail your progress.

An Alternative Approach

There’s an alternative, more practical way in which you can achieve even the most ambitious goals.

This approach is designed to help you stay on track and make forward progress towards your goal even on the days when motivation is low.

I first learned about this system from entrepreneur and creator Sahil Bloom.

It’s the ABC goal system.

How the system works is you take a goal and come up with the action steps you need to accomplish it (mini-goals) in 3 levels: A goal, B goal & C goal.

A goal (Best-case scenario): What you can do when there are optimal conditions — when you’re well-rested, you’re feeling motivated and have high energy. This is the ambitious, but still achievable goal.

B goal (Base-case scenario): What you can do on an average day when you can’t do the A goal. This is the middle ground — something that you’re able to do on most days.

C Goal (Worst-case scenario): Something you can achieve on the worst day possible — when you’re busy, unmotivated or have low energy. This is the bare minimum you need to do in order to hit your goal.

Taking the goal to get fit, for example, this is how it can look:

Why it works

There are 3 main reasons why this approach works:

1. It helps you stay consistent

By having different levels in which you achieve the same goal, it helps you to stay consistent even on days you’d have otherwise skipped on your goal.

When people experience challenges like a lack of motivation, those with only an A goal tend to forego it and risk completely losing track of the entire goal.

But with different levels, whether you’re doing the A goal or the C goal, you’re always doing something to move the needle forward and get a little step closer to attaining your goal.

This approach takes advantage of the fact that imperfect action is better than inaction, and that anything above zero compounds.

2. It accounts for obstacles

By anticipating for obstacles and making plans to handle them, this approach helps you to be proactive rather than reactive.

By knowing that not all days are going to be perfect, you come up with a plan (Goals B & C) to make sure you’re still making progress on your goals.

Therefore, when unexpected challenges arise, they don’t derail your progress because you already have a plan for them.

These obstacles may not happen, but if they do, you’re well-equipped.

3. It takes the pressure off being perfect

This approach helps you to be flexible and adaptable to every day life. It helps you show up on the good days and on the less-than-ideal days.

By reframing how you define success, it gets rid of the all or nothing mindset. For example, a 15-minute walk is just as good as a 60-minute workout because you accomplished your goal to move your body.

You understand that it’s not about hitting the “perfect” goal every day, it’s about making some sort of progress, however small, towards your goal on a daily basis.

Your Next Action Step

Create your own ABC goal system:

1. Choose a goal that you’re currently struggling to achieve.

2. Come up with concrete steps you can take to achieve it.

3. Break down the steps into three levels: from most ambitious (A goal) to the bare minimum (C goal).

4. Go ahead and execute your action plan.

Give the ABC goal system a try and see what difference it makes.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found something valuable :)

To get more actionable tips like these, consider joining other health-curious friends like you by signing up below.