Do not set your Target based on what you have achieved so far…

If you are in Sales and you get a BIG Target, then what is your immediate reaction?

How can I achieve such a BIG target?

How can I renegotiate the same?

Very often, we think, how can I still achieve the same?

What do I need to do differently?

How much effort will I have to put extra?

What would extra resources be needed?

I was always in a renegotiation mode; hence I shut all doors of trying something bigger.

This is primarily because far too long, I used to set my target based on what I achieved in the past, not based on what I am capable of doing.

Throughout my life, I have been deriving my plan incrementally based on my past achievements data.

I used to give too much importance to becoming pragmatic and realistic.

We feel apologetic about chasing a BIG target, thinking that we will be able to do it?

We have not done in the past.

People will laugh at me, and they ridicule me thinking that I am flying kites and detached from reality.

In the Corporate context, I understand this very well.

People will say my appraisal rating will suffer, and my variable salary is at stake.

And all these are short term priorities, and I understand that they are important.

But they are survival measures, not thriving ones.

We think nobody will applaud me for taking BIG target, but they will pull me up for not achieving the same.

There is a systemic issue with some orthodox organizations where people are not encouraged to experiment and fail.

Failure is tabooed.

The collateral damage that happens in our life with this approach is that this mindset spills over our personal lives.

In our personal lives, also, we start setting only incremental goals.

It isn't easy to practice two different value systems in life simultaneously.

Our subconscious mind cannot differentiate which one to exercise and when.

So, our entire mindset is in jeopardy.

How many times you would have heard the story A four-minute mile.

Until Roger Bannister first achieved running a Mile (1.6 Km ) in a minute, no one believed it could be done.

Once Bannister did the same, so many people have done thereafter.

A similar incident happened in my life a couple of years back when I led a business for the Eastern Region for a Large SI company.

When I took over the business, the Turn Over of the region was to the tune of approximately 200 Cr.

All believed that we could probably grow 10–15 % YOY.

After 3 years, when I exited the role, the business grew up to 385 Cr.

I had no clue how to do it when I took over, but I always dreamt of scaling the region to 500 Cr.

I could not do 500 Cr, but I was still better off.

Next time, when you are setting the target for yourself, consider your ambition and potential and do not get constrained by what you have done so far.

Once you complete 4 minutes a mile, next time, that becomes easier.