Reverse Engineering Goals 101 (my simple 4-step process)
Reverse engineering goals is an incredibly powerful strategy. So I’m pumped that you’re here. I hope this post gets you closer to where you’re going.
The good news is that reverse engineering our macro visions doesn’t need to be overly complicated.
Following a simple formula (or template) is as easy as knowing what you want and then just thinking about it in a new way.
So that’s what we’ll do here.
This post will first cover some definitions and benefits of reverse engineering your goals (or life), before exploring my step-by-step process.
Alright, enough small talk. Let’s get it.
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What Does Reverse Engineering Goals Mean?
Reverse engineering your goals is basically thinking in first principles. That is, we need to take something apart to better understand how it’s made.
Reverse engineering goals means you’re thinking backwards and unpacking larger goals into micro and nano ones.
The purpose is to better understand the construction of a goal, its component pieces and how those pieces interact with each other and contribute to the larger objective.
This process is much like what a doctor does to understand the anatomy of the human body, or how business innovators unfold complex problems into simpler parts and solutions.
So let’s do that with our goals.
But before we jump into my process, let’s look at a few of the core benefits.
6 Benefits of Reverse Engineering Goals
Big goals become more realistic and feel more attainable
Reverse engineering goals increases the likelihood of actually working on them and eventually achieving them
Breaking down goals into smaller pieces builds motivation to take action
Reverse engineering goals helps you pinpoint what’s necessary, so you can focus on what’s most important or relevant
You’ll become more patient – as you clearly see the bigger picture, your time horizon is adjusted to suit incremental improvements over large leaps
Your abilities and skills will grow and compound exponentially, as you learn new things in order to meet the requirements of each new step or micro goal
Reverse Engineering Goals (my 4-step process)
Below is the process I use to reverse engineer my big ideas and goals into more manageable bite-sized tasks and steps.
I basically follow a four-part format (of course, I go into each one and explain more below):
The Macro
The Micro
The Nano
The Action
I’ll be using a personal example for each step, so definitely follow along with your own goal if you’re ready.
Alright, let’s get it.
Step 1 (the macro)
This first step can feel a bit obvious – but it’s all about identifying our main goal(s).
It’s helpful to do a deep dive into why we have certain goals and what we expect from pursuing — to get some clarity.
Some questions I like to ask myself include:
Does it align with my values?
Is it related to my brand and other goals or purpose?
Why am I pursuing this goal – what’s my motivation and vision?
What’s my time horizon or expectations for meeting this goal?
The purpose of this first step is to establish our specific objective and the key motivation behind it.
So I’ll be using a music example. Let’s say I want to reach 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
I’ll write that macro goal in (and put on the hat too).
Note: I’m using coggle.it here to create this visual map of my reverse engineered goal.
This is a free software, but of course, you can use whatever you prefer (Google Docs, Excel…a pen and paper – just as long as it’s written down and visual in some way).
Step 2 (the micro)
OK, now onto some more exciting stuff. Let’s start reverse engineering things.
This step usually requires a mix of self reflection and research. I try to answer the question, “what’s realistically required to reach this goal?”
This could be money, skill acquisition or some logistical thing. You can see my main requirements in my example below.
Another helpful trick (especially if you’re feeling stuck) is to research and explore other people who have already done the thing you’re trying to do.
I’m a big supporter of learning from people ahead of you – their mindsets, lifestyle, strategies, formulas, etc.
Listen, read and watch – then copy and iterate.
What was their path? What skills do they have that you don’t have (yet)? What do they do that you do not?
Once you’ve isolated most of the key components required, you can write them in below your main goal (as I did below).
So these are a few (there are more) of the core components or requirements needed to reach my main goal.
I should be spending most of my time focused on these things (not necessarily the 100,000 monthly listeners). But how can we do that?
By further reverse engineering each component into nano steps or goals.
Step 3 (the nano)
Once we’ve established core components of our main goal, we need to unpack each component into actionable steps and tasks.
This is the nano phase.
So think critically and honestly about how you would realistically achieve each micro goal. This may relate to skill building, habits or certifications.
I’ve put in some of the core nano tasks related to my micro goals below.
As you can probably gather, we could break things down even further into smaller steps, tasks and actions.
But this all really depends on the magnitude of your goals and personal preferences. We’ll stop here for this post – but keep going if you’re feeling it!
Step 4 (the action)
Once you have your goal(s) neatly organized and reverse engineered, it’s time to take action.
Here, the idea is to focus on small, consistent daily action. To echo Alex Hormozi, extraordinary results come from doing ordinary things for an unordinary amount of time.
Never underestimate the power of compounding and stacking skills.
Remember step one when we defined our expectations? Keeping a reasonable time horizon is crucial for patience and motivation.
I’m confident that if I consistently chip away at my core nano goals, I’ll eventually reach the micro ones.
And if I continue chipping away at everything (nano and micro), I’m confident that I’ll have a good chance at meeting my main, macro goal.
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