52. I agree generally that setting new goals in small increments above past accomplishments is a reliable path to achieving those goals. I think anyone would be hard-pressed to find fault with this advice. Nevertheless, in some exceptional instances, a more dramatic leap-frog approach may be more appropriate, or even necessary, to achieve a significant goal. The virtues of setting goals in small, easily-attainable increments are undeniable. Overwhelming challenges are reduced to readily attainable tasks. A psychological boost is afforded by each intermediate success, helping to ensure that the achiever wont become discouraged and give up. Each step in this process can raise ones level of aspiration, and in manageable proportions that make success more likely. Moreover, this approach can be used by anyone―a sedentary office worker who decides to complete the New York Marathon; a paralegal who wishes to become a surgeon; or a small business owner who aspires to become CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. In some instances, however, the step-by-step approach is not adequate. For example, many great creative achievements―in art, music, and literature―are made not by the achievers disciplined setting of incremental goals, but rather by a spontaneous |