Read the full transcript of author Chuck Wachendorfer’s talk titled “How To Set Goals You’ll Actually Accomplish” at TEDxGreenhouse Road, Feb 7, 2025.
Listen to the audio version here:
The Marathon That Seemed Impossible
Chuck Wachendorfer: Have you ever set a goal for yourself that just seemed completely out of reach no matter how hard you tried? I had a goal to run a marathon. Don’t ask me why. It was a true bucket list item. Something you think you’ll do one day but secretly you think you might kick the bucket without making it happen? No matter how hard I trained, no matter how many times I declared my goal to my friends and family, it just seemed impossible. I even wrote the word marathon down on a piece of paper and carried it around in my wallet like some kind of magical talisman. Spoiler alert, didn’t make a difference. I could never seem to run further than eight miles and I was starting to tell myself that maybe some people aren’t meant to run marathons and I was one of them.
That all changed one summer when I was at a backyard barbecue talking to a good buddy of mine, Bill, who just casually mentioned he was training for a marathon. I almost choked on my burger. “You,” I said, “are training for a marathon?” Speaking frankly, Bill wasn’t exactly the poster child for fitness. There was nothing wrong with him, but if you walked into that party and somebody asked you to pick out a marathon runner, he wouldn’t have been your first choice, or your second, or your tenth. But there he was telling me he was training for a marathon like it was no big deal.
“It’s true,” he said. “I ran 11 miles this morning.” I was blown away and a bit embarrassed.
I told him, “I can never run further than eight miles.” And he shrugged and he said, “I just ran slow enough so that when I stopped I wasn’t out of breath, about 12 minutes a mile.” And that’s when I realized what I had been doing wrong. I’d been killing myself trying to run eight minute miles and I could never get past eight miles total. And the conversation forced me to confront a critical question. Which was more important, running a marathon in a specific time or finishing a marathon at all?
Why Most People Fail at Goal Setting
Have you ever had a sour taste in your mouth when it comes to goal setting because you failed to achieve your goal too many times? When that happens enough you stop setting goals altogether because it feels like you’re setting yourself up for failure. I invite you to stop just setting goals and start paying attention to the behavioral changes you need to make to get there. By understanding the key activities necessary and committing to them as part of the goal-setting process, you set yourself up for success.
Studies have shown about 70% of us actually set goals. But only 8% actually achieve them. Think about that. Only 8%. And this discrepancy comes from a fundamental misunderstanding around what goal achievement entails. People confuse setting goals with achieving them, forgetting the critical role that behavioral change plays in the process.
In business, I see leaders all the time spend hours crafting the perfect mission statement, making sure everybody in their organization understands what their goals are. But then they fail to help their team members understand what they need to do differently to achieve that goal. The result? Disengagement, frustration, and ultimately failure. It’s like somebody asking you to bake a cake and then not giving you the recipe. No cake, no party.
The same thing happens in our personal lives more often than we’d like to admit. You want to lose weight, but cutting calories isn’t something you want to think about. You dream of writing a book, but you can’t seem to sit down at a computer every day. Or you want to save for retirement, but you avoid looking at your daily spending habits. In each case, you focus on the end goal without considering the behaviors and actions necessary to achieve it.
Beyond SMART Goals: The Missing Piece
Now don’t get me wrong, goal setting is great. It’s the first step. The SMART goal framework—specific, measurable, attainable, results-based, time-bound—is a solid way to make sure your goals aren’t just fake dreams. But let’s be real, having a SMART goal doesn’t mean you’re going to be successful. You can have the smartest goal in the world, but if you don’t change your behavior, it’s like having a GPS that you never turn on. You’re not going to get to where you want to go.
And that was the problem with my approach to marathon training. I was so focused on the end goal of running a marathon, I didn’t consider the changes in my behavior needed to accomplish that. I was running too fast, burning out too quickly, and never making any progress.
The key to successful goal achievement lies in putting your goals through what I like to call the acid test. Sounds tough, like it involves acid, but I can assure you it’s entirely safe. Not only can you do it at home, you should do it at home, you can do it anywhere, and you don’t need any protective gear.
The goal-setting acid test is very simple, very practical, and it revolves around two critical questions. First, are you able to do what’s needed to get what you want? Second, are you willing to do what it takes to get what you want? These two very simple, very basic questions serve as a reality check, forcing us to evaluate both our capabilities and our level of commitment before you embark on pursuing a goal.
When you can confidently answer yes to both questions, you’ve identified a goal that’s not just desirable, but one that you’re going to be able to achieve. And this process filters out any unrealistic aspirations and focuses your energy on goals that align with both your abilities and your dedication. Putting your goals to the acid test helps you go beyond aspirations and into the realm of concrete, obtainable objectives that you’re willing to work towards.
Now remember, you have to know what your key activities are, how often they must be done, and here’s a critical part that most people forget. These are activities that must be done by you, not anyone else. If you’re not willing to commit, it’s time to adjust your goal.
Crossing the Finish Line
Two months after that backyard breakthrough, I did run the Chicago Marathon. Actually, Bill and I ran it together. We paced each other and crossed the finish line together. My time was four hours and ten minutes. It wasn’t the sub four hours I was hoping for. But you know what? I finished. I ran every single mile, something I didn’t think was possible when I was stuck at that eight mile barrier.
Isn’t it amazing how such a small change in mindset can make all the difference? What stays with me is the feeling I had of crossing the finish line, the realization that I had done something I didn’t think was possible only a few months earlier. It was indescribable and it all came down to that simple but critical insight, running slower and more consistently. Can you see how powerful it is to focus on the right behavior rather than just the end goal?
Let me end by asking you to do a little exercise with me. I want you to think of a goal you have for yourself. It doesn’t have to be running a marathon. It doesn’t have to be something you dedicate your life to. It doesn’t have to be losing 50 pounds. Maybe it’s losing five. It could be something that just occurred to you or maybe something you’ve been putting off for years.
When you think about it, does it excite you or does it make you feel uneasy? If it makes you feel uneasy, it’s time to examine your key activities. Do you know what they are? Do you know how often they need to be done? If you’re not willing to commit, adjust your goal in a way that means you’ll see progress. Remember, it’s about progress, not about perfection. Be honest with yourself and put in the hours.
Whether it’s your health, your finances, or your relationships, the key is focusing on the right behaviors, not just the end goal. And that’s my call to action. Pick one goal and understand what it takes to achieve that. If you’re not willing to commit, adjust your goal until you find one you can work for consistently. Don’t just be smart about your goals. Put them to the acid test and understand what it takes to get there. That’s the way to go the distance and cross your finish line.
