Cover art for episode 70: Stop Setting DUMB goals and start creating SMART ones

The 2% Solution

Stop Setting DUMB goals and start creating SMART ones

Season 1 · Episode 70 · March 15, 2024 · 7:30

Dai Manuel covers goal-setting strategies, detailing how SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. He also explains how DUMB goals are disconnected, unrealistic, misguided, and broad.

Show notes

Embark on a masterclass of goal-setting with me, Dai Manuel, and discover how to craft objectives that propel you toward success.

This episode is your ticket to understanding the SMART formula—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals—that acts as a cornerstone for achievement.

We'll journey through history, drawing lessons from icons like Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin to illustrate the monumental impact of well-defined aims.

Prepare to refine your aspirations as we dissect the nuances of each SMART component, ensuring your goals aren't just hopeful wishes but blueprints for triumph.

But be warned, for every SMART goal, there's a DUMB counterpart—Disconnected, Unrealistic, Misguided, and Broad—that can ensnare your ambitions in a web of futility. 

We'll tackle the common pitfalls that lead to these traps, analyzing historical blunders like the Maginot Line and Xerxes' overreach. 

By aligning your targets with your core values and giving them a realistic touch, you'll be equipped to sidestep these goal-setting gaffes. 

Get ready to convert your dreams into actionable, measurable realities with strategic insight that guides you from the lofty peaks of aspiration to the solid ground of accomplishment.


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The whole conversation is written out, timestamped line by line, with a short summary of what it covers at the top.

Read the full transcript

Get the goals episodes in order

There are 44 episodes where I go deep on goals. I will send you the list, in the order I would listen to them, with the exact moments worth skipping to.

The next DadBody 28 group starts January 4, 2027, $99. Twenty eight days, done alongside other men. See DadBody 28

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