High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 684: Why Hard Goals Create Real Growth

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset Podcast, Dr. Cindra explore the impact of setting stretch goals - ambitious, meaningful targets that push us out of our comfort zones and closer to our potential. Backed by research from Harvard Business School, they explain how high-effort goals can fuel innovation, focus, and sustained performance when they're supported by belief and purpose. You’ll also learn why writing down your goals matters, how to break the habit of playing small, and how to shift your thinking when self-doubt shows up. Power Phrase of the Week: “I pursue bold goals because greatness lives just beyond my comfort zone.” Quote of the Week: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” — Norman Vincent Peale

Hi, friends. My name is Dr. Syndra Kamboff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week, I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed packed episode focused on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go!

It's time to check in with Cinder Campoff and today we're talking about dreaming bigger and stretching further and Cinder why don't you start us off with one of your quotes. I love this quote by Norman Vincent Peale he said shoot for the moon even if you miss you'll land among the stars. All right so what exactly are we talking about today? Well I want to start with some research from the Harvard Business School that suggests that stretch goals, so these are really ambitious, seemingly out of reach targets, can actually lead to more creativity, innovation,

and higher performance, especially when people believe that the goal is possible and supported by a strong why. And so one study, for example, an organizational behavior and human decision-making process in the journal found that participants who had stretch goals outperformed those of moderate goals by over 30 percent. So really, today what we're talking about is that bold goals backed by this belief can really lead to breakthrough results. And why is this so important for us to consider a stretch goal? Yeah, that's a great question.

You know, one of the most robust and replicable findings within the research and performance psychology is that goals really direct your focus. They feel your desire and really help you remain persistent in face of adversity. And really what a goal is, is just a measurable and some kind of result that you want, right? And we know that the world's best are really goal-oriented. what a goal is, it's just a measurable and some kind of result that you want, right? And we know that the world's best are really goal-oriented. They know what they want each year, each week, each day, each meeting, and their long-term goals are connected to their short-term and daily goals. And so, I think, again, I think that's what we're talking

about today. Hostie Sook Okay, but I don't know if anybody listening would necessarily always consider us like to be one of the world's best. So how does it relate to us, regular people? That's a great question. And I think what the world's best helps you do is just helps you understand what the best of the best do and how you can become more of that. But here's how it relates to us. Let's say you're a leader in a business or you're a leader in your own career. You know, if you aren't really sure what outcomes you want for the year, you know, how can you lead your team with clarity?

And, you know, how will you make sure that you keep the most important goals kind of as a daily focus of the least important goals? The setting goals should really get you fired up and inspired and writing them down is actually what's really important. And the only way, you know, completely in your control is to write it down. If you don't write it down, they can become really unknown or ignored. And so we want to write our goals down, especially these stretch goals. All right. And the world's best write their goals down, I'm assuming. Exactly.

All right. All right. What do we need to consider when we set our goals? Well, one of the things we're talking today is about having a strict goal. And so your goals actually should be difficult to accomplish. I interviewed this woman named Carolyn Adams Miller, who wrote a book called Getting Gritty. And I loved the thing that she said about our goals. And she said, the happiest people wake up every day to really hard goals, not easy goals. And a good kind of grit is going after your hard goals and getting outside your comfort zone, taking risks, and doing it for an extended period of time. And that's

really what we're talking about today with stretch goals. We want to really dream big and write them down and push ourselves. All right, talk a little bit more about stretch goals and the meaning there. Yeah, so what I really mean is the stretch goal helps you move beyond your current capabilities and your current performance and it requires some kind of sacrifice, some kind of dreaming big. It requires grit, right? Getting outside your comfort zone and feeding kind of that really energy and excitement in your belly. A stretch goal may even be a little uncomfortable to pursue, maybe a

new approach or a brand new path and so to kind of be thinking about this, you know, what really hard goals do you consider or do you kind of keep coming up in your mind? And that could be an example of a stretch goal for you. LESLIE KENDRICK And what if we have doubts that we'll come and get in the way of our stretch goals? KELSEY HALL HALL Yeah, that's a great question because most people do. Even though I say stretch goals, people tend to have the tendency to really dream small. But I'd say, you know, you want to fight your natural inclination

to dream small and you really want to choose courage instead. And so I think what's really important is to remember we all need hard goals to go after. So I tell you to say dream, you know, dream like you would encourage a friend to dream or a child to dream, you know, dream knowing you deserve to dream, dream like you would encourage a friend to dream or a child to dream. Dream knowing you deserve to have a dream. Dream in a way that really would change your life. And so that's what I would tell you to do is when your mind starts thinking, you know, how can I do that? Redirect it back to what you want and what's your desire and stay focused on that instead.

All right. Sandra, do you have a power phrase for us this week? I do. This one is, I pursue bold goals because greatness lives just beyond my comfort zone. And if people want to get in touch with you or listen to some of your work, maybe check out a podcast or read one of your books, where do we need to go? At the week and head over to Dr. Syndra, so D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A dot com. And you can find all about my speaking and our coaching in my books over there. Way to go for finishing another episode of the High Performance Mindset.

I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe and you can head over to Dr. Syndra for show notes and enjoy my exclusive community for high performers where you get access to videos about mindset each week. See you next week!