A Goal Needs a Definition of “Enough”

A useful lesson about goal setting: if a goal has no definition of “enough,” each milestone can quietly become a reason to add more. Progress then expands the commitment instead of bringing it closer to completion.

Before starting, decide what a satisfactory outcome looks like, what is deliberately out of scope, and when you’ll review the choice. If new evidence changes the goal, revise it openly; changing direction is not automatically a failure.

A clear finish line protects effort for what matters next—and makes it easier for someone else to own a piece of the work without guessing when it’s done.