I found a great quote today from an entrepreneur-turned-sales trainer Tom Black that I thought was very useful.  It has to do with setting goals, which is one of most important things an organization or individual can do to drive company or personal growth.

Something I’ve often experienced with goal setting is that when people set big, hairy, audacious goals and don’t hit them, they get down on themselves, even if they’ve accomplished an incredible amount in their pursuit of the goal.  That’s not the point of goal setting!  If you stretch really far and come up a little short, you should still reward yourself for your accomplishments.

So, what’s the technique that you use to allow yourself to stretch with your goals, but also keep a realistic perspective?  Tom Black says the following:

Another element of good goal setting is to have both high and low goals. 

Poet Robert Browning explained high goals perfectly: “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”

A low goal should be like Disraeli, the British statesman and prime minister, said: “A goal once set, then death or victory.”

High and low goals - it makes perfect sense!  Use the high goal to stretch yourself and let your imagination run wild, and use the low goals to establish a baseline that you know is believable and reachable, and that you won’t rest until you achieve.