A target is a goal. Setting goals helps you think about what you are aiming for, and why it’s important. Imagine your goals are displayed on a dart board. If you are just learning to play darts, you might stand closer to the target. An expert might stand further away to make it more challenging.

A goal that challenges you is called a stretch goal. When you first set a stretch goal, it may not be clear how you’re going to achieve it. That’s the power of a big ambitious goal: you commit to it before you know how you will make it happen. Stretch goals are important because they help you grow. They motivate you to think differently, because you can’t get there by doing things the same way you’ve always done them.

Set your target too close and it’s too easy. You’re not challenging yourself. Set it too far away and you will have no hope of reaching it. A goal that you feel is impossible will sap your energy and deprive you of motivation. A stretch goal is just right: Far enough that you’re not sure you can do it, and close enough to feel achievable.

Here’s a good litmus test: If you meet every goal you set, you probably aren’t setting them high enough. A good stretch goal should be a little bit scary. 

The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The right goal will generate a state of flow, striking that perfect balance that is both challenging and achievable, so that it requires your full attention and engagement.

Working toward a big ambitious goal is like throwing darts at a board. It’s unlikely that everything you try will work on the first go. When you first start throwing darts, you might have trouble hitting anything. You don’t know where your actions will land or whether they will stick. You might not even hit the board. But with practice you improve. You are learning as you go, building new skills, a little bit at a time. You might have to try a lot of things before you find something that works.

Do you need to set a goal for yourself or your team? What is the right distance to create between you and your target? Can you set the challenge at the right level of difficulty to fully engage your energy, focus, and attention? If you’re facing a difficult challenge, what are some experiments you can try, or actions you can take, that might move you closer to your goals?