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Why you should set unrealistic targets (and shoot for them anyway)
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Why you should set unrealistic targets (and shoot for them anyway)

Aim for the moon and you'll land among the stars.

David McIlroy's avatar
David McIlroy
Apr 30, 2025
∙ Paid
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The Solopreneur Stack
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Why you should set unrealistic targets (and shoot for them anyway)
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Want to get started as a solopreneur but still not sure if it’s the right path for you? Take my free email course and find out.


A few years ago, I took part in a hiking challenge that almost killed me.

Well, not quite. But it sure as heck felt that way at the time.

I was one of several hundred participants in a fundraising event in the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.

The challenge involved hiking our way across a dozen peaks in about twelve hours.

I’d trained for weeks. I thought I was ready.

Narrator: “David was not ready.”

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About halfway along the route, my body ran out of carbs to burn and both my knees gave out.

Turns out, I hadn’t eaten anywhere close to what I should have that morning and my joints couldn’t handle being rattled up and down the hills any longer.

I was forced to drop out (along with about half of the other participants) and slink home with my tail between my legs.

Author image

So beyond poor meal-planning, what was my problem that day?

Simply put, I’d overreached. I’d set myself a goal that was unattainable.

Now I know what you’re thinking: wait a minute, Dave — isn’t the whole point of this story that we should aim for unreachable goals?

Yes, it is. But with a caveat attached.

First, let me tell you why you should aim beyond your means, whether that’s in business or just personally-speaking.

This post is for paid subscribers. If you want to dive into the rest of it (and support me in the process), consider upgrading to my paid tier. You know it’d make my day. ☺️

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