Should we consider not setting goals in 2013?

This transcript is automatically generated

And now we have Peter -- joining us sunset with more about this amount as last week new years resolutions -- eight yeah and now you're saying we should consider.

Not even doing you know that -- -- -- I was talking to -- Christine and production who's saying.

You know show is breakthrough is anyway and I think you know what better way to not break your New Year's resolution -- not to have one in the first place right.

I guess you know here's the thing I did -- -- Here's the thing that we underestimate.

About goals which is the damage that they actually create and when we make them.

So you make a goal yes and then your singularly.

Focused on achieving an adult I hear -- What happens is you let all the other stuff 'cause I'm really kind of -- over here exactly television.

Now it -- but if you look at the research.

It drives unethical behavior so it up really wanted to hang out well for had a -- in the research I -- -- wouldn't happen.

So fine you know someone's -- this year's many years ago -- set a -- that all of there.

Auto repair stuff would bring in a 147 dollars per hour of work right and that they met that -- do you know how.

Now overcharging that you don't overturning of a Pinto remember the -- write a little tap in the Bakken boom of the car blows up -- Right they -- their goal of -- 2000 pound car under 2000 dollars right.

Great great yeah.

So so there is Ken O'Brien a former jets.

Member of the discord jets quarterback -- he had a goal to reduce.

Interfered passes right.

And he got paid for reducing his interfered passes and you know what he did.

He reduces interfere houses you know -- reduced.

Passes you just stop throw the -- -- much so all of his performance -- even though we cubicle and we set these goals and and we start doing things to reach them.

And that end up working against us that how do you set a goal in the first place I mean it's kinda.

I'm gonna lose forty pounds.

They figure how did you get to that you know all these goals that we set.

I think distract us and from what we actually really have to do is to just focus on things we want to focus -- so.

Focus Cunningham on -- -- yeah I would.

-- had a right so you decide what you want it is on the big proponent of areas of focus that I'm a big hundred saying you know if I want.

To sort of lose weight if that's -- goal rather than set a goal of a certain amount of weight that I want to lose by the way with the recent shows I'll probably make it.

I'll probably go back to my previous weight you know by the -- any by the end of the year right so.

So you know if I make it if I'm lucky enough to make it I'll probably lose -- but I still would have made Michael.

So instead I just think about what is it that I really want to focus on if what I wanna focus on is eating.

You know good food healthy food real food not too much of it.

You know mostly vegetables and a little bit of -- here and there if that's what if that's what I wanna do.

Then I'm just gonna focus on how I eat and -- -- focus on eating well.

The way it's gonna take care of itself the goal of how much -- -- loser -- that's gonna take care of itself.

So what I want people lose focus on the things that they want to do the path in effect that they would have taken with a goal focus on that path but just like -- -- Let's talk about the path because you say research from HBS Harvard Business School that.

Lends.

To your point very nicely only 3% of graduating students -- there well.

Knows that this is it this is great -- so there's this research -- and it almost you know most of the people who are listening are probably have many of them will have heard of this research right.

That 3% of the Harvard.

Students of -- graduating class twenty years ago.

Wrote down their goals only 3% -- chemicals.

And -- twenty years later are worth more than the entire rest of the class the 97% of people didn't write chemicals.

Those 3% who -- -- -- -- are worth more than all the rest.

This is a study that is often cited often discussed is only one problem and it.

It never happens if there is no such study.

-- -- really really there is -- so I have heard it right I don't think it was fast and yeah people hear about it people talk about everybody loves goals talks about ready.

Don't doesn't it because you call I don't know we looked at all I look for the research.

Fast company look for the research Harvard and other -- telling me.

Really made it -- somebody said it.

Someone else said a sounds great comedy is that in my next beat someone else that I really love -- I heard it in his speech and this is how we should -- made up but there was no.

I couldn't find any study I did a big surge I couldn't find any study.

That that related in any way without -- so you know it's.

Now all of that set one of the things that will say is it's very very hard to live without goals.

And I find it hard to live without goals it's it's so ingrained in us -- -- going eve and Adam calls.

How do you mean.

Well maybe you're gonna have skin -- and have kids and -- did that.

Right or -- or -- long life was to become the job in your net job.

Right and you know actually people by the way who had a goal to say I get married have kids and they don't reach it.

And they're so focused on -- they're so focused on the don't we -- cash and probably and they say -- given up.

Forget it.

And then we then.

A month they end up getting some of -- they end up marrying out and you know the stores now these are just anecdotal stories right but I would suggest that the goal in hand.

Isn't particularly correlated with the success of ethical.

And that what is particularly correlated with us is that -- Google is doing things that.

Will end up giving you what you want or that by their very nature of which have what you want -- to be in a really great relationship with someone.

Start doing stuff you absolutely love and then you'll be in that relationship with someone when you find.

Peter pregnant I -- ill.

Just relax and 2013.

-- enjoy champagne -- -- -- -- with.

On the holidays happy new year your article LA and I knew -- saint Peter -- dot com thank you again for coming on -- -- thank you everybody for saying -- Lawrence in an --

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Should we consider not setting goals in 2013?

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