people/musings

Goal Setting, Risk and Guaranteed Return on Investment

Remarks given to the student body at the North Dundas District High School Junior Achievement Awards Assembly on November 2, 2011. Slightly edited, of course.

This morning I’d like to talk to you about high achievement, setting goals and risk. Specifically, I’d like you to leave here today with the idea that setting lofty goals, and putting as much effort as you can into achieving those goals, is a huge risk. I’d also like you to believe that those are the only kind of risks worth taking, because they come with a guaranteed return on your investment.

I recently started reading Steve Jobs’ biography. And just in case you didn’t know, he’s the former CEO of a company called Apple. He created this nifty little communication device that you might have heard of called the iPhone.

There is a quote on the first page of this book. It reads like this: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” The quote comes from one of Apple’s advertisements from the late 90s. I’ll say it again: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Now, changing the world is a pretty ambitious goal. However, Einstein did it; Edison did it; Steve Jobs did it; Justin Bieber is arguably doing it; and somebody is going to do it again; so you have to ask yourself, “Why not me?”

Now, you might say “something that ambitious would take a lot of work,” and you’re right, it would. There is also a lot of risk involved in trying to change the world: you’re risking wasting time that could be spent on other things; you’re potentially risking effort; maybe you’d be risking social status. There is arguably a lot of risk involved with striving to achieve anything that takes a lot of hardwork, time and effort—like making the basketball team, getting elected to Student Council or striving to get an A+ in Mrs. Onstein’s physics class—which I’m pretty sure is impossible. But striving to achieve these types of goals is what I would call good risks, as opposed to general risks or stupid risks.

An example of a general risk would be like purchasing a 50/50 ticket at a Winchester Hawk’s game. You’re perhaps giving up $2 for the chance to win more money. You’re likely contributing to a fundraiser, and who knows, if you win, you’ll end up with more money at the end of the day. Importantly, there’s nothing negative that can come of the situation. And that’s it – a harmless gamble.

An example of a stupid risk to take would be drinking or doing drugs before a school dance or a similar activity. If you’re doing that, maybe you’re thinking that it’ll make your night more fun, or perhaps you’re simply doing it because all your friends are and it’s going to help you fit in. Those things might be true at the moment, but, there is also the real possibility of negative things happening – like getting caught, facing consequences, and of course, health risks – as a result of your actions—as a result of those risks.

So imagine you’re taking a good risk—the kind that I described earlier—the kind that is worth it no matter what—the kind that is going to require some sacrifice and a lot of effort. Imagine you’re working towards this goal, and you’re actually giving it everything you have.

You’re studying more, or practicing more, or working harder—you’re turning down opportunities to go out and party on Saturday night. You’re playing less Call of Duty on Xbox 360—something that I thankfully didn’t discover until after highschool—anyways, in your pursuit of what you’re trying to achieve, perhaps you realize you can’t do it on your own, so you’re asking your parents or friends or teachers for assistance—and they help—and you’ve never worked so hard in your life for something.

And at the end of the day, you’re successful. You get the A+; you make the basketball team; you get the part in the play you want; you get accepted to a college or university. So was all the effort and sacrifice worth it? Of course it was. You got everything you were shooting for. But let’s say you’re not successful; you don’t get the part, or you don’t make the cut. Was it all still worth the effort? I would say yes.

Because equally as important as the outcome, are the lessons learned, knowledge, experience and the perspective you will have gained in your pursuit. You will learn many, many special things.

You’ll find that even if you opt to skip a friend’s party one Saturday night in favour of studying, come Monday morning, your friends will probably still like you.

You’ll learn that even if you’re not spending as much time playing video games, you’ll still be pretty good at them, and you’ll likely miss doing it less than you thought you would.

You’ll learn that your parents and your teachers—who you will inevitably go to for support and assistance—actually know more than you’ve likely given them credit for.

You’ll learn that wisdom is a product of diverse, meaningful experiences, not just age.

There is a reason why we read the biographies of great people—like Steve Jobs—because even if we know how it ends—whether that’s good or bad—we’re far more interested in what happened on the way there. And we should be, because that’s what matters. Similarly, winning the Stanley Cup is a big deal for hockey teams only because they have to play 82 regular season games and 16 playoff games to do it. And it is in all those games that the true character and tact of the best players is shown. And you are excited for Friday and Saturday, because you have to be here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And I hope that what happens today has some impact on what you do this weekend.

I want you to leave here today with some lofty goals in mind—atmospheric goals—take a good risk—give achieving these goals your best effort—and know that—irrespective of whether or not you achieve them—the best outcome is one in which you learn something about the world around you, about others and about yourself. You’ll realize that the things you risk will inevitably reveal what you value. Your presence here today tells me that you value your education. Your presence at this assembly tells me that ten years from now each one of you will be doing something amazing, and if you take the right kinds of risks—the good kind—your journey is going to be absolutely fascinating. And I know that everybody who is here today to celebrate your achievements—community members, parents, peers, and especially your teachers—cannot wait to see what each one of your journeys look like.

Congratulations to everyone.

Thank you.