Why Set a Goal Just Beyond Plausible?

David Heinemeier Hansson says the magic happens when a goal sits slightly beyond plausible, and a self-driving car that arrives after a missed schedule still shows why the goal was worth setting.

Chasing a goal feels especially good when the goal is numerical, and a grand goal asks for more than the practical next step. Back in 17 he gave the self-driving timeline a lot of grief because the car was not on schedule. The car is here now. The person who already thought it was possible in 17, and who stayed impatient with reality, is who forced that outcome. A four-minute mile does the same work for everyone else: once someone runs it, a quicker mile looks reachable. High aspirations are more fun to live with.

He has revised the view a little. Plenty of people do not need grand ambitions, and 8 billion people at that extreme would make the world rather crazy. Entrepreneurs still do well with suitable, chunky goals. Running one Italian restaurant can mean the best pizza possible and the most delicious parmesan. Excellence is what supplies the motivation to keep going.