/ Monday Motivation

Moonshots

By: Christian Banach

“Moonshots.” ?
“Big hairy audacious goals.” ?
“Focus on the monumental, not incremental.” ?️

We hear this advice all the time.

Company leaders, motivational speakers, and self-help books preach it. ??

These stretch goals are deliberately set out of reach.

They’re to inspire and counter complacency.

We’re told even achieving a substantial fraction puts you ahead.

But there’s a dark side that’s often overlooked.

Research shows that when goal failure occurs, we perceive our abilities as inadequate. ?

And ourselves as incompetent.

Missing a goal affects self-esteem and motivation.

It causes disengagement from challenging future tasks. ?

Worse, it leads to increased risk-taking and unethical behavior.

Suppose you set a stretch goal to lose 100 lbs in 6 months.

You diet and exercise and lose 60 lbs (a significant feat). ?️‍♂️

How likely are you to be happy you lost 60 lbs,

Versus disappointed you missed the goal by 40 lbs? ?

Think about business.

You set a stretch goal to grow revenue by 100% YOY.

Everyone works their tails off for 12 months.

By year’s end, you have grown 60% (still tremendous growth). ?

Is management happy?

How does that make the team feel? ?

I’m all for goal setting and having a Northstar.

But be careful of the potentially detrimental effects of the big hairy stretch moonshot.

Remember, there is power in tiny gains. ⚡

Small wins, small projects, and small differences often make huge differences. ?

Small Wins, Small Projects, & Small Differences Often Make Huge Difference

Christian Banach
Christian Banach is a business development expert who helps agencies and consultancies land 6- and 7-figure opportunities predictably. With 20+ years of experience—including growing his firm and working with brands like Disney, Toyota, Kohl’s, and Constellation Brands—Christian now empowers clients to attract and close more deals through proven strategies and Relationship-Making™. Connect on LinkedIn

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