Can "aiming high and failing", be ultimately worst off than "aiming low and acheiving it"?

Question

im not talking about aiming VERY HIGH, im talking about goals.

we were always told to have a goal, have a dream, and in fact, aim high so when you fail to reach the moon, you at least reach the stars.

but consider the 2 scenarios.

1) a guy aims to "go for jogs once every week, for 1 month", and failed.

2) a guy does not aim at all, and went for a jog, then tell myself "man, you did well!". he ends up being more motivated and confident in himself.

which is better, to dream and aim high, or not to dream and have goals at all?

Answer 1

Best to aim above the horizon otherwise you must be satisfied with the status quo or what ever may happen. That is like having no goals at all. Some people have nervous breakdowns during their mid life crisis due to "low goals" and minor achievement.

Answer 2

It's better to not bite off more than you can chew, you might choke to death in the process and then all the aim in the world won't help you!

Answer 3

I think aiming high and failing is directly related to aiming low and succeeding.  For example:  You cannot just say I want to be a fireman and the next week you are one.  You have to set several small goals along the way to your large goal or long-term goal.  One you have to find a school, register, get accepted, go through all the school processes, look for a job etc. etc.  Attaining low set goals is fine as long as the are part of the path to your future goal.  If you only ever set low goals you will feel unchallenged and therefore ultimately unrewarded.  Goal setting can be tricky.  When you look at setting a goal you must then ask:

1.  What is my final goal?

2.  What steps do I need to get to this goal?

3.  Within those steps how to I acheive this step? (Ex: How do I find a school?)

4.  Set specific limitations on those steps. (I will find a school by July 25, 2007)

Never stop dreaming...just incorporate planning and when you have succeeded after careful planning and follow-through you will feel a high level of motivation that only comes with the hard work and dedication.  And when you do fail - don't look at is a failure - look at it as set-back and a way to revise the plan that may not be working for you.  Keep re-working your plan until it is best for you.  Keep you boundaries solid while being flexibile to change and growth that are good for you.  When reviewing ask yourself:  Is this helping or hurting my next step or goal.  Good luck!

Answer 4

I really haven't an answer for the philosophy question beyond thinking about it in terms of van Gennep, Rites of Passage, and those successive steps, and rituals and symbolism that cultures provide for in life.

Answer 5

This is a scenario common to all. Of course when you look at the two, second one is apparently better. But a person with a a goal will have a clearer idea of what to achieve, his strengths, and weakness eventhough  he may fail to achieve the goal a couple of times.

In the second scenario the person achieves some success but he isn't probably aware of overall self and tends to achieve less

Answer 6

It is better to try and fail than to never try at all.

I could not think of any curse worse than being at the end of my life and wondering "what if I had tried something".

Aim High!