How much would you bet on your ability to keep your own promises?
I tend to struggle a lot when it comes to setting and achieving goals, especially on the timeframe of weeks or months out. I am pretty good about writing down my goals, but I tend to be over-ambitions at the start, putting down way more goals that I can reasonably achieve, and then dreading the actions necessary to achieve those goals once I’ve committed. I think a lot of us are like that. We make to-do lists, set New Year’s resolutions, and get inspired to make strides toward the person we want to become, but most of the time we fall far short. Why? One reason, I’ve come to understand, is that our goal-setting methods are flawed.
Traditional Goal-Setting sucks
Our default approach to goal-setting has some problems:
- Lack of prioritization: We throw tasks onto to-do lists without considering their importance or urgency.
- Vague long-term goals: We set ambitious but poorly defined objectives like “write a book this year” or “start exercising.”
- No accountability: Without clear parameters or consequences, it’s easy to let goals slide.
These flaws make it challenging to track progress and maintain motivation. But there’s a solution that addresses these issues head-on.
The Game of Navigation is better
A few years ago, I discovered a useful approach to goal-setting that treats your objectives like bets. Here’s how it works:
- Start small: Begin with one point to set a single daily goal.
- Bet on yourself: If you achieve your goal, you earn two points. If you fail, you lose your investment.
- Level up: As you accumulate points, unlock the ability to set more goals or longer-term objectives.
- Increase the stakes: Weekly goals cost 10 points but reward 15 if successful.
- Scale up: The system extends to monthly, seasonal, and yearly goals, with higher risks and rewards.
This approach fundamentally changes how you view and set goals. Each objective becomes a calculated bet instead of an obligation.
How does it work?
The Game of Navigation is effective for several reasons:
- Mindful goal-setting: You must carefully consider each goal, ensuring it’s achievable and well-defined, in order to know if you’ve actually succeeded or not.
- Immediate feedback: Success or failure is clear and comes with tangible consequences.
- Built-in motivation: The point system provides a concrete reward for achievement.
- Scalable challenge: As you improve, you can tackle more ambitious, longer-term goals.
- Self-awareness: The game reveals your true capabilities and areas for improvement.
What I find is that as soon as I start setting goals this way, I think of them differently. A goal is not just a thing I would like to do, it becomes something I am willing to bet on myself doing successfully. Suddenly I don’t just set goals willy-nilly. Each goal is set with well-defined parameters, and I’m literally more invested in my success.
Think about it: When you set a goal on your To-Do list for the day, what is the real obligation to get that done? You wrote it down, sure. Obviously, you intend to do that thing. But unless there’s some external consequence, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t do it.
With the Game of Navigation, it’s different. Objectively, it’s still just a game. But you know you’ve invested something in it. It seems like arbitrary points you’re risking, but what you’re really doing is making a bet on your ability to deliver on the promises you make to yourself.
How do you play it?
Here’s how you can start playing the Game of Navigation:
- Set aside your current goals, especially those you’re struggling with.
- Start with one daily goal, investing your single point.
- Track your success and point accumulation.
- As you earn points, strategically decide when to level up to multiple daily goals or longer-term objectives.
- Reflect on your progress and adjust your strategy as needed.
What do you get?
By playing this game, you’re not just writing down intentions—you’re investing in your promises to yourself. Your ability to set broader, longer-term goals grows with your success or shrinks with failure. The game acts as a kind of mentor, allowing you to reach out further when you are doing well, and pulling you back when you’ve stretched too far.
So, are you ready to place a bet on yourself? You can start small, be consistent, and watch as your capacity for achievement expands. The Game of Navigation isn’t just about reaching goals; it’s about becoming the kind of person who consistently delivers on their promises.
What will your first bet be?