Stretch goals help catalyse change, they’re designed to feel uncomfortable until we grow into them. “A mind that is stretched by new experience can never go back to its old dimensions” (Oliver Wendell Holmes)
Stretch goals help catalyse change. They’re those goals that are difficult enough to be a push to achieve, but not so difficult that they seem unattainable. AND, once achieved, our experience and self have both grown irreversibly. Stretch goals are designed to feel uncomfortable until we grow into them.
Commonly linked with an elastic or rubber band imagery, stretch brings to mind two things: effect and purpose. Firstly let’s talk about effect; the more often you stretch an elastic, or the longer you hold it stretched, the looser the band will become — stretching leads to growth. Secondly it’s a matter of purpose; an elastic is most effective when stretched as it is capable of holding something or things together, but when it is not stretched is cannot and is therefore ineffective — stretching allows for potential.
Our goals are a reflection of our world order
We are at our healthiest when we not only have goals but when our goals reflect a mix of those that are personally important to us (aspirational goals) and those that are “necessary” for us (functional goals). Aspirational goals are the ones that we often put in the “one day” category: writing a book, travelling abroad, physical metamorphoses, and occupational or educational endeavours — these are the ones that often evade our imaginings for how we achieve and whether we ever will. Functional goals tend to be more manageable to understand: laundry, filing taxes, walking the dog (or cat?!), and finishing that report — these are the ones that need to be done and we know how to do them. Reluctance towards functional goals creeps in because at face value they can feel less rewarding.
“Set stretch goals. Don’t ever settle for mediocrity. The key to stretch is to reach for more than you think is possible. Don’t sell yourself short by thinking that you’ll fail.”
(Jack Welch)
Motivating ourselves out of our sticking points
Unfulfilled goals can leave us feeling unmotivated and this is where stretching them can help. Stretching allows us to start tapping into our ”feel good“ strive and thrive loop. Almost all of our goals are able to be framed into stretch goals via simply adjusting the parameters for achieving them. For example, tweaking the timing and or depths we need go to accomplish a goal can shift it into the stretch zone but so can deconstructing a goal to create a more manageable task (i’m talking about you, aspirational goals).
When it comes to workouts, stretch goals are built in to the foundations of every program, think about it, whether it’s changing reps, sets, weights, or exercise, the intention is to push for growth which means the goal is set just beyond the comfort zone — achievable with effort.
Over to something less tangible, meditation practises yield the best results when they have become habit. Operating from a checkbox system can help build the neuro feedback of accomplishment. Setting yourself up with a stretch goal for doing this is a grest way to motivate the change. If you’re starting from scratch, 10minutes a day and 4 days of 7 may feel like it’s ”challenge set”. But, if you’re already doing 10mins sporadically, you might up the length and frequency. You can also add a daily deadline to hit that “game on” feeling. Stretch goals are relative, they’re all about what’s a stretch for you.
So why are stretch goals considered “good for us” ?
When we are challenged by something and then succeed in overcoming that challenge our brains give us a very enthusiastic “high five”. Basically we get a serotonin kick that leaves us feeling good. Difficult goals encourage us to push beyond our comfort zones which creates a growth drive factor in achieving them. That said, it’s important to remember the idea behind stretch goals is to push your perceived limits and so they need to still be that sweet spot of attainable — set yourself the “impossible dream” and you’re likely to find your motivation acquiring dust on the lacklustre shelf.
Goals are important in all facets of life. As positive mental health constructs, goals allow us to plan for our future but be present in our now, they encourage our long-term vision and empower our self-concept — they are a meeting of hope and courage. Think about the goals you’ve set yourself, why did you set them? Could you stretch them to bring them better into focus?