Check your goal is feasible before moving forward.

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OK, you’ve got your first draft down. Bravo. Now it’s time to put your Worthy Goal through its paces. 

Think of it as a stress test. How sturdy is it? Does it support the weight of your ambition, or does it look like it’s going to wobble? We’ll start with the spouse-ish test. 

Here’s the idea. You’re going to run your idea past the person who knows you best. It’s spouse-ish because it doesn’t have to be an actual spouse. It could be your best friend, or your sister, or your partner. Point is, they’re someone who’s heard it all – your jokes, your dreams and ideals, your hang-ups. They have a sense of who you are, what you stand for, and where you are in life. They care. 

Your sketch is still on paper. It sounds great, but it’s still abstract. It could easily stay there, tucked away in a drawer, but you’re about to change that. You’re going to both make yourself accountable and give yourself a reality check. Scary? Sure. Necessary? Absolutely. We all have our blind spots. Catching problems early is going to save a lot of heartache later on. 

So what can you expect? Chances are, you’re going to hear one of three things from your spouse-ish person. “Yes, brilliant – do it!” “No, that’s nuts – don’t do it!” Or “Yes, it’s a great idea, but you’ve been talking about it forever; just do it already!” 

Look out for extreme reactions. Positive feedback isn’t a green light, but it’s a great sign that you’re on the right track. Nor is a negative response a red light – it’s simply a warning telling you to check you haven't missed something important . 

That brings us to the second test – fitting your project into the Goldilocks Zone. 

If you know the fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you’ll remember a little girl trying three bowls of porridge. One was too hot; another too cold; the third, though, was just right. 

In astronomy, there’s what’s called the Goldilocks Zone. It’s the part of space near a star where a planet’s water remains liquid. If a planet’s too close to the star, the water boils off. If it’s too far away, the water freezes. In the Goldilocks Zone, you have liquid water – the precondition of life as we understand it. 

Some goals are too small and granular. Being in bed by 10 p.m. is a good example. Others, like finding happiness, are too big, too abstract. What you’re looking for is a goal that feels just right. Your project should fit into a Goldilocks Zone, which is why this exercise is called the Goldilocks test. You’re looking for that perfect balance – meaningful but realistic, inspiring but doable.

So, how did your Worthy Goal fare after the stress tests? Still wobbly? No worries – just go back to the sketch and make the necessary tweaks.

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