A few months ago, Olympic champion Gerd Kanter visited our school as part of the “Tagasi kooli” project. The part of his talk that stayed with me most was about setting goals. I’ve thought about it a great deal since his visit — and reached very different conclusions from his. I invite you to think it through with me.
Gerd repeatedly emphasized this: if you dream of something big, set yourself the highest possible goal from the outset. Aim for the very top. The logic is simple — if you aim to become world champion and get halfway there, you’ll probably have won several Estonian championship titles. And that is a huge achievement in itself. Sounds logical, doesn’t it?
I have no grounds whatsoever to criticize an Olympic champion’s philosophy. This man has proved himself through his achievements. But I would venture to say that this approach wouldn’t work for me — or probably for 99% of ordinary people.
Why big goals often fizzle out
First — most people struggle to assess their potential realistically. Someone may love judo and dream of Olympic gold without realizing that they don’t even have an average level of determination. Someone else pictures themselves in a World Championship sprint final despite lacking even average genetic potential for sprinting. A mismatch like this drains your drive before you’ve even really begun.
Second — motivation tends to fade when there are no milestones along the way. An interim reward, an incentive, a small win — these help you see the progress you’ve made and motivate you to keep going. That is precisely why my philosophy on setting goals is the polar opposite of the Olympic champion’s.
Achievement motivation theory in psychology supports this: the greater the gap between your goal and your actual capabilities, the less motivated you are to work toward it. I explain this to my upper secondary students using the high jump as an example.
If I set the bar at 1.80 and tell them that’s what they need for a grade of “three,” nobody will even try — it’s far too far beyond their actual capabilities. If I lower the bar to 1.50, a few of the more capable students will start having a go. But if I lower it to 1.15, everyone will try to clear it.
Setting goals in stages
The closer a desired goal is to what you can realistically achieve, the more motivated you become to reach it. Once they’ve cleared 1.15, we start talking about a grade of four, which they can earn by clearing 1.30. But if I’d set 1.30 as the requirement for a “three” from the outset, far fewer students would have tried.
Let’s talk about bodybuilding. In my view, it’s a crazy idea for a beginner — or even someone who’s been training for a few years — to set their sights on a world championship title. A series of small steps will take you much further:
- First, build a physique that can stand up to scrutiny on stage.
- Get your first competition under your belt.
- Avoid finishing last in your category.
- Win your category.
- Reach the final, where the overall winner is chosen.
- Avoid finishing last in the overall contest.
- Finish in the top three overall.
- Win the overall title.
- Make the national team.
- Avoid finishing last in your category at competitions abroad.
- Finish in the top three or top five at competitions abroad.
- Only then start thinking about a European or world title.
Talking about a European championship title is beyond wishful thinking if you consistently finish last or second to last in a category of 5–6 men in your own country. Intermediate goals aren’t a matter of modesty — they’re the only way to actually get anywhere.
What the students themselves say
When I ask my upper secondary students which approach they prefer — aiming for the very top straight away or progressing in stages — 8 out of 10 prefer to move forward in stages. Especially after I’ve explained the logic and benefits of this approach.
Is it possible that our leading discus thrower knew the moment he first held a discus: “Yes, I’m going to be an Olympic champion”? I doubt it. Those thoughts more likely emerged once he’d already won several Estonian championship titles and thrown beyond 65 m. At that point, his ambition might have soared: “I’ve reached 65 m — what if, in 4 years…?” I suppose there are different paths to the ultimate truth.
But along the way, you need to “add logs to the fire,” or it will tend to go out. What use are big dreams if excessive ambition stops us from ever making real progress toward our goals?
Goal setting FAQ
Are big goals always a bad idea?
No. Big goals suit some people and work for them. But for most people, without intermediate steps, they’re simply too distant to provide real motivation.
How small should the intermediate steps be?
Small enough to feel achievable within the next couple of months. If an intermediate step feels impossible from the outset, it’s too big — split it into two.
How do you know when to raise the bar?
Once you’ve consistently achieved your current intermediate goal — not just on one lucky occasion, but repeatedly — it’s time to define the next one. Not before.
Source:Turg.Fitness.ee
Come work out! ArtGym
