Beware of Goal Creep

I couldn't believe my eyes - the email read - "I'm feeling so disheartened lately. I have not hit any of my goals. I missed my personal best by 25 seconds. My list of contacts has not been growing at the same rate. I haven't reached my revenue targets." Can you relate? Have you got goals you are just missing? Haven't had any big wins lately? It all sounds reasonable fodder for a bit of a whinge and grumble... Except that:

• My friend - let's call her Tracey - is now running faster than ever - at 40.
• She has been busting her guts for the last six months in total commitment to her training program.
• She is mega healthy and looks fabulous.
• She actually had a stomach bug on the day of her run.
• Her list of contacts is actually 11,000+. That's eleven thousand. That's, like, mega huge by any online marketer's standard. Plus the list has been growing at 200 per week. As I told her, I would sacrifice body parts to have those kind of numbers!
• Her revenue targets per month are more than many people make in a whole year.

'Hohum', she says. 'Hohum'? How about hallelujah! How about, I rock my own socks off - I am so terrific! How about, I am an inspiration to my peers, my family, my clients, my cat and the chickens next door! 'Hohum'. Sheesh. Time for a perspective makeover. There are a couple of things going wrong here: 1. Tracey is suffering from 'goal creep'. When she first started out I can guarantee my friend would have been ecstatic with a jog around the block and 5 people reading her newsletter each week. These small wins would have made her jump for joy! But as she started to achieve more and more and more, she got addicted to the craving for more. Like a crack-head junkie, she needed even greater hits of 'hitting target' adrenaline. Once she hit a target, she started searching immediately for the next hit. Goal Creep. Very addictive.