Why Am I Doing This? And Other Powerful Questions

Each winter for the past two decades our family has thrown a big party to which we invite everyone we know. And every time, I bake these delicious little lemon cakes that, without fail, always get stuck in the pan. Year after year, I end up throwing half of them in the garbage, and the whole ordeal leaves me feeling stressed out and miserable. Last year, however, after once again ruining a batch of cakes, I asked myself a powerful question: Why am I doing this? After some careful thought, I realized the answer was not because the success of the party depended on those cakes. It wasn’t that anyone would be disappointed or even notice if they weren’t on the table. Instead, it boiled down to because I always do. And it struck me that this isn’t a very good reason to do anything at all, much less something that makes me feel so wretched. Ever since then, why am I doing this? has become a sort of mantra that I use to check in with myself and reflect on whether I’m living my life intentionally or just going through the motions.

In an effort to help others live with intention, I often work with my coaching clients on clarifying their short- and long-term goals. Although there are lots of different ways to approach goal-setting, perhaps the most ubiquitous is the SMART goals framework.¹ SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They’re powerful because their specificity can help you succeed, and also to know when you’ve succeeded. But one potential problem is that you can do a bang-up job of setting SMART goals but still be missing something important. Afterall, I will spend two hours making three dozen lemon cakes to serve at my party is an example of a well-defined SMART goal, and yet that doesn’t mean there’s any real good reason to do so. And also, it’s frankly just not that inspiring.

In a recent quest to uncover some alternative goal-setting frameworks, I came across the concept of DUMB goals, which are dream-driven, uplifting, method-friendly, and behavior-driven.² A DUMB goal encompasses the why am I doing this question, but it doesn’t stop there. First, it illuminates something you dream of accomplishing—usually something big that might be a little (or a lot) unrealistic. Next, it uses compelling language to express why the goal inspires you—what is it about achieving or even working toward it that would light you up? Then, it specifies how you can make your dream a reality—the day-to-day practices you’ll commit to or experiment with. And finally, it identifies triggers that will remind you to do so. An example of a DUMB goal might be:

I will delight in throwing a dazzling party as an expression of how much I adore my family and friends. For the next year, I will collect inspiration and build a plan, pausing to record intriguing ideas and scrumptious recipes every time I hear the words "party" or "celebration".

Am I suggesting DUMB goals are better than SMART ones? Not really, although I will say I don’t even particularly like parties and still I’m a whole lot more enthused by this second (DUMB) goal than I was by the first (SMART) one. Instead, I’m suggesting that DUMB goals and SMART goals can work nicely together. In pursuing my mission to design a spectacular party, the practices contributing to my vision might be expressed as SMART goals, like stepping stones in a river that’s too wide to leap across. For example, I might say: I will test out one new recipe every month to build a mouth-watering party menu. Or, I might say: Each week I will make one singular tweak to the lemon cake recipe until I discover a formula that allows the cakes to release easily from the pan. Except that I specified in my DUMB goal that I would "delight" in throwing the party, and that does not sound delightful to me at all. But I hope you get the point.

In case lemon cakes and parties don’t feel relevant for what you spend all day doing at work, I’ll offer a few other examples of complementary SMART and DUMB goals at the organizational, team, and individual level.

SMART: Increase revenue by 20% in the next year.
DUMB: Build a world-class company that transforms our industry and creates opportunities for thousands. Over the next year, we’ll immerse ourselves in industry trends and innovations, committing to weekly strategy sessions and celebrating every milestone. Each time we review our monthly financial reports, we’ll assess our progress and adjust our goals.

SMART: Achieve a 25% increase in customer satisfaction scores in the next quarter by implementing a new feedback system.
DUMB: Develop a team renowned for unparalleled customer service, creating memorable experiences that turn clients into advocates. For the next three months, we’ll focus on enhancing our service quality through biweekly training and feedback sessions. Each time we receive feedback from a client, we’ll discuss how we can exceed expectations.

SMART: Complete a leadership certification program within the next 12 months to enhance managerial skills.
DUMB: Become a transformative leader who inspires and mentors others, leaving a lasting legacy in the organization. Over the next year, I will dedicate time to personal growth and mentorship, attending monthly leadership workshops. Whenever I conduct a team meeting, I will inquire about how I can further support and uplift my team.

There are other ways that using DUMB and SMART goals together could help make your goal-setting more meaningful. If you’ve started with a SMART goal, you could try to develop a DUMB goal that encompasses it (as I did when I went from lemon cakes to throwing a dazzling party). In this way, you can identify the real purpose behind what you’re aiming to do. Instead of asking why I kept attempting the dreaded lemon cakes every year, I might have asked the same question of the broader effort. Why am I throwing a party at all when, as I’ve just expressed, I don’t really even like parties? If I discovered, as suggested by my DUMB goal above, that I was doing so to express how much I adore my family and friends, I could now ask myself another question: How else might I do so? And this is, perhaps, an even more powerful question because it opens up a whole world of new possibilities.

What I love about this interplay between SMART and DUMB goals is that you can start with a more far-reaching DUMB goal and work your way into more precise SMART goals, or you could start with SMART goals and work your way toward a more expansive DUMB goal, and then possibly work your way back to some alternate SMART goals. There are often many paths to any one destination. Whichever way you go you’re likely to end up with more clarity around why you’re doing what you’re doing, more motivation to keep going if the going gets tough, and a better fit between your intended purpose, your own strengths and preferences, and the ways in which you execute on your goals.

Which brings me, at last, to Business Chemistry.

SMART goals are likely to resonate well with Guardians and Drivers because of their structure and results-orientation. Integrating DUMB goals, however, can help achieve ambitious targets by embracing more uplifting, purpose-driven, and transformative aspirations that inspire and motivate teams. Guardians and Drivers might want to begin with a SMART goal that outlines clear outcomes and achievable steps. Then add a DUMB element, connecting the goal to a larger purpose and making it more visionary.

DUMB goals are likely to be a natural fit for Pioneers and Integrators because of their emphasis on meaning and imagination. The structure provided by SMART goals, however, can help ensure innovative ideas are grounded in reality, and that specific, assessable actions bring those visions to life. Pioneers and Integrators might want to start with an exciting and ambitious DUMB goal that emphasizes impact and inspires you. Then break down the DUMB goal into detailed measurable steps.

When teams bring together several Business Chemistry types, combining SMART and DUMB goals can make for a particularly effective approach to goal-setting, especially if each type leans into their strengths.

For example, when launching a new product, Pioneers may dream big about product innovation and potential impact while Guardians may develop detailed project plans with specific, measurable milestones. Drivers might focus on achieving key performance indicators and driving results while Integrators might foster collaboration and ensure the team is motivated and connected.

Or, in an effort to improve the customer experience, Integrators might focus on building strong relationships with customers and incorporating their feedback, while Drivers might set ambitious targets for customer retention and sales growth. Guardians may outline specific metrics to measure customer satisfaction while Pioneers may envision a transformative and delightful customer experience.

Because we can all flex into behaviors beyond what might be typical for our own primary type, even without every Business Chemistry type present, a team can combine the visionary and inspiring elements of DUMB goals with the structured and measurable aspects of SMART goals, driving results but also fostering a sense of purpose, connection, and innovation. Afterall, Pioneers and Integrators care about results too, and Guardians and Drivers also want to feel inspired.

So, whether you’re working with a team or setting your own goals for your career or life, reflect on how intentional you’re being. Ask yourself, why am I doing this? What do I really want to accomplish? And how else might I do so? As for me, I am happy to report that while we still threw a party this winter, I did not attempt to bake any lemon cakes, which brought my personal state 20% closer to delighted. Maybe next year I’ll find a new way altogether to express my adoration for family and friends.

¹Doran, G. T. (1981). There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35-36.

²An online video featuring Brendon Burchard outlining DUMB Goals has been viewed 700,000 times, suggesting that I’m a bit late to this particular party: Burchard, B. (2018, January 4). Why SMART Goals Suck - Do DUMB Goals Instead [Video]. YouTube.