#1985 Your SMART Goals Aren’t Smart

In our last several +1s (here, here, here and here), we’ve been systematically unpacking the foundational wisdom for the 101-day Heroic Elite program.

I’ve also been relentlessly encouraging you to check out the 30 minute overview and 90 minutes of Q&A in the discovery call we did earlier this month.

It was so inspiring and we’ve received SO MUCH positive feedback from it and I am SO COMMITTED to doing everything I can to get as many Heroes as possible to answer the Heroic call to Elite adventure that I will continue encouraging you to watch it.

Here it is:

Now…

We’ve chatted about the Soul Force equation and how to optimize it. We’ve discussed Energy and Focus.

Today we’re going to talk about the WIN variable.

I must say that THIS Heroic take on the science of goal setting might just be what I’m (goosebumps) MOST EXCITED ABOUT with Heroic Elite.

Let’s get straight to work.

Once again, the WIN section (like everything else we discuss in Elite) will have it’s own Field Guide micro-section.

Download it here.

Here’s an excerpt from that section…

At Heroic Elite, we’ve taken the traditional SMART goal framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—and elevated it to meet heroic standards. We call it Heroically SMART Goal Setting, where the missing ingredient is the High Hard challenge.

While SMART goals are a useful starting point, they often fall short. The emphasis on achievable goals can lead to mediocrity. If your goals don’t challenge you, they won’t transform you. Settling for what feels attainable means you won’t push yourself to your full potential—or discover what you’re truly capable of.

The result? Safe, easy goals that keep you in your comfort zone. As Caroline Adams Miller explains in her latest book, Big Goals, which I had the privilege of writing the foreword for, extraordinary lives aren’t built by playing small. They’re forged by tackling big, audacious, meaningful challenges.

What Makes Heroically SMART Goals Heroic?

Heroically SMART goals take the best of the SMART framework and add the missing High Hard challenge to activate your heroic potential. Here’s how it works:

1. Specific: Your goal must be crystal clear. Vagueness is the enemy of progress. (Example: “Increase my VO2 max to 60 in the next 6 months.”)
2. Measurable: If you can’t track it, you can’t improve it. Heroically high hard goals need clear metrics to gauge success. (Example: “Row 51,000 meters on my birthday.”)
3. Achievable—but only barely: This is where we diverge from traditional SMART goals. Heroically SMART goals must stretch you beyond what feels comfortable. They should feel just out of reach but achievable with focused effort. Mediocre goals = mediocre results. (Example: “Complete the Heroic Elite 101-day challenge with perfect adherence.”)
4. Relevant: Your goals must align with your Big 3 priorities in energy, work, and love. What’s the point of achieving something that doesn’t matter to your ultimate legacy?
5. Time-bound: Set a clear deadline to create urgency. Combine this with Gabriele Oettingen’s WOOP process (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) to ensure your big goals are grounded in reality.
6. High Hard: Add the heroic element. Your goals must challenge your limits, demand courage, and inspire your best effort. This is the layer that makes Heroic Elite goal setting unique.

Why do high hard goals work?

Well…

High hard goals activate what psychologists call the challenge-skill balance, the sweet spot where your skills are pushed to their limits. Research shows that:

• Stretching beyond your comfort zone builds grit and resilience.
• High difficulty increases focus and flow. You perform at your peak when the challenge feels just slightly beyond your reach.
• Big goals fuel intrinsic motivation. People are more engaged when working toward audacious outcomes they deeply care about.

Grounding Goals in Reality with WOOP:

While Heroically SMART goals demand heroic effort, they also need to be grounded in reality. That’s where Gabrielle Oettingen’s WOOP framework comes in:

• Wish: Identify the big, meaningful goal you want to achieve.
• Outcome: Visualize the best possible result of achieving it.
• Obstacle: Identify the internal and external barriers you’ll face.
• Plan: Create specific strategies to overcome those obstacles.

By combining the aspirational power of Heroically SMART goals with the practical realism of WOOP, you’ll set yourself up for sustainable success.

Here’s how we’ll help you set Heroically SMART Goals…

In the Heroic Elite program, we guide you through setting and achieving Heroically SMART goals across all time horizons and the Big 3:

1. Legacy Goals (WIL): What’s the High Hard Goal that defines your ultimate life purpose. (Example: “Be remembered as the most loving and energized person my family has ever known.”)
2. Decade Goals (WID): What’s your audacious vision for the next 10 years? (Example: “Build a company that creates generational impact while staying in the best health of my life.”)
3. Yearly Goals (WIY): What will you achieve this year to advance your heroic vision? (Example: “Add 5 pounds of muscle and run my fastest 5k.”)
4. 101-Day Goals (W101): What’s the heroic focus for this challenge? (Example: “101% adherence to the Heroic Elite program while increasing my flourishing score by 20%.”)
5. Daily Goals (WIT): What will you do today to honor your goals? (Example: “Complete my AM meditation and hit my +101 training challenge target.”)
6. Moment-to-Moment (WIN): How will you WIN this moment by focusing on what matters? (Example: “Turn off distractions and do deep work for 30 minutes.”)

That's a quick look at how we will help you set Heroically Smart Goals. Obviously we are going deep in the program. Check out the Field Guide for more on how we will help you get your Energy focused on What's Important Now Consistently.

Join us in Heroic Elite to go next level.

The party kicks off soon. 5 days left to save $100 and save another $100 by bringing a friend.

LET’S GO!