Having a clear target can be useful and can feel motivating in a lot of cases. For example, goals such as for building up an emergency fund or to increase your stamina to participate in a marathon are useful and can motivate you to keep going until you reach your desired outcome. However, some goals don’t lend themselves to this format. Sometimes you want to continue working on certain behaviours, rather than stop once you reach a certain target. A lot of health behaviours, such as regular movement, drinking more water or spending less time on the phone, lend themselves more to a different type of goal: Progress, or streak goals.
What are Streak Goals?
Streak goals are flexible goals that focus more on the process than the outcome. They are useful for the type of things that you want to continue for a long time, such as exercising or working on your writing. Often, these types of goals are more useful for health or growth goals, as these types of goals are continuous, rather than end at a certain time.
They also lend themselves to goals that don’t constantly grow. Sometimes maintaining an exercise routine is the goal in itself, rather than increasing performance or moving towards a specific outcome.
Common Pitfalls with Streak Goals and their Prevention
As with all kinds of goals, there are pitfalls for process goals as well. Here are some of the most common issues individuals experience when they are making use of process goals.
Unrealistically expectations
Expecting too much of yourself is especially ruinous with process goals. The reason for that is that we are usually aiming to maintain a routine for extended periods of time with these goals. Unlike with outcome based goals we want to have a steady input of energy and time. With an outcome based goal we might have phases, for example the last metres towards reaching it, when we intentionally push ourselves, helped by the motivation that we will soon reach the finish line. That is often not the case with process goals and therefore not advisable. Instead of aiming to “give it all” I often advise to slightly lowball what you expect of yourself regularly. It is better to write a single sentence every day, rather than ten pages once, and give up on the novel all together after that. Pace yourself.
Tip: Set your expectations for yourself low enough, so that you can still manage some progress on a bad day.
Lack of flexibility
Another pitfall is inflexibility in regards to expectations or goals. When we are too inflexible, small interruptions of our routine can lead to complete dropout and giving up on the goal. Instead we should aim to safeguard life’s interruptions with flexibility. Just like a tree that bends won’t break, your progress will continue if you keep your approach adjustable to the circumstances.
Here are two ways to apply this:
Come up with a plan B (and C) for worse days. How could you adjust your expectations and still make some, even if less, progress on a bad day?
Alternatively, consider the Rule of 1: It is ok to skip one time, but if at all possible, continue the next time.
These strategies can help you stick with goals, even when life throws unexpected obstacles your way.
Lack of self-compassion
Famous actress Jennifer Lawrence referred to herself as a show pony in the past when she was talking about her work. She would perform, no matter what. This attitude was likely well-regarded by directors and co-workers, but she also noticed how it drained her. Nowadays she looks back at that time with regret, feeling like she should have prioritized her well-being more.
“I want you to think of yourself as more than just a performance tool.”
I want you to think of yourself as more than just a performance tool. It is not sustainable to ignore your needs and it will inadvertently lead to a decline in health and potential failure to reach your goals.
Instead, become aware of your needs and learn to adjust your plans according to them. In my blog post from February (“How to be your own Valentine”) I offer tools that will help you become more self-compassionate. For example, applying a perspective change and asking yourself what you would want for a good friend of yours in the same situation. There are more ideas in the blog.
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Photo by Yukie Emiko on Unsplash
Margaretha Madoures 