365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

Day 62: On Moonshot Projects

We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things,

not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

—John F. Kennedy

 

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As we’ve already discussed several times, living your life the hard way

makes  it  paradoxically  easier,  while  avoiding  the  hard  things  makes  your

life more difficult.

When it comes to accomplishing your goals, the hard truth is that easy

accomplishments often go away quickly, while larger projects produce more

lasting results.

For  one,  setting  close  to  impossible  goals  requires  you  to  think  in

categories producing pivotal differences, and not mere tweaks.

For example, losing 5 pounds (or 2 kilos) requires a small tweak. You

can eat less for two weeks and you’ll accomplish your goal. However, you

won’t  fix  the  underlying  issue  of  being  overweight,  and  probably  soon

regain the weight.

How about losing 50 pounds (or 20 kilos) this year? You can no longer

afford to think in terms of small tweaks. You need a permanent change — a

change in your habits and identity that will address the cause of the problem

and lead to a permanent solution.

Audacious goals can also transform your life, while reaching safe, easy

objectives won’t change much in the grand scheme of things.

If  you  want  to  save  a  million  dollars  for  retirement,  you’ll  need  a

different  strategy  than  if  you  only  want  to  save  enough  for  a  rainy-  day

fund. A moonshot project of building a $1 million nest egg might lead you

to  building  a  business  that  will  not  only  generate  a  million  dollars  for

retirement,  but  also  help  you  retire  early  —  a  pleasant  side  effect  you

initially didn’t anticipate at all.

As an additional benefit, big goals are more motivating, which means

you’ll be less likely to give up when you encounter obstacles. Granted, you

need  to  pursue  the  hard  things  in  a  smart  way  so  that  you  won’t  find

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yourself walking with your head in the clouds. Set an audacious goal, but

accompany  it  with  a  realistic  deadline.  An  ambitious  goal  is  still  a  big

accomplishment, even if it takes you years to achieve it.

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