Chapter 4“You have to do the work of making it fun.”
Fun counts. Acuff attempts to dispel the fourth lie and idea that goals must be miserable. Using the popular SMART goal setting principles as example, he elucidates how helpful attributes of a goal can be boring. This seemingly strong structure does not intrinsically provide the exciting motivation to finish. The point is well measured by the observation that “ if your performance success soars while your satisfaction plummets, you’ll be a miserable winner.” Acuff’s research showed self described enjoyable goals increased satisfaction likelihood by 31% and increased performance success by 46%. The key shortcut is not to find a fun goal but to make your true goal fun. He describes this as going on offence against perfectionism. This can be done in one of two motivational styles. Either a reward motivation or a fear motivation can be potent depending on personal preference. Chapter 5“The closer you get to finishing, the more interesting everything else in your life becomes.”
The divergence between skillfully setting goals and introspection about performance begins here. Acuff states, “if you refuse to allow perfectionism to denigrate your goal...it will move from destruction to distraction.” This transition is defined by the appearance of two distinct distractions, hiding places and noble obstacles. These can be best described as unfocused action and virtuous inaction respectively. Either translate to a lack of work towards the finish. Identifying hiding places is an exercise that can be completed by prioritizing limited time, energy, and money. A hiding place is often stealing from those reserves. The inverse to these distractions are the noble obstacles. Building complexity or adding unnecessary detail can add a myriad of steps to never be completed thus inducing inaction. The noble obstacle can often be mitigated through thoughtful observations. “Could things be easier? Could things be simpler?” Chapter 6“Call it baggage, call it limiting beliefs, call it secret rules—the name doesn’t matter.”
The least observable and most introspective obstacles are discussed in this chapter by Acuff. The secret rules are long and deeply held lies that affect judgement and behavior. Three steps must be taken to address them. One, identify them. Two, destroy them. Three, replace them. To identify the rules four questions can be posed: Do I even like __________? What’s my real goal? Does the method I’m using match who I am? Is it time to quit?
Clearly identifying these self professed lies provide the path to their destruction. Seeking assistance can be highly beneficial in the case of a secret rule. “One of perfectionism’s chief goals is to isolate you.” Having a second opinion to evaluate these false statements at face value can invalidate them completely. Finally, replace the rule that has been removed. Reinforcing a truth over a lie and providing an alternative way of thinking about oneself can foster a positive motivation towards achieving a goal.
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