Friday Forward - Aiming High (#507)

Getting close to an ambitious goal is often more impactful than easily clearing a low bar

For seven years an unopened bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne has sat on my desk.

It was originally sent to congratulate me on a book launch. But instead of opening it, I decided to save it for what felt like the ultimate milestone. Not just another book or a quick hit on a bestseller list, but one of the hardest accolades to earn in publishing: writing a New York Times bestseller.

I won’t deny there’s a bit of ego in that goal. The New York Times list is certainly a badge of credibility in the publishing world. But it wasn’t just about recognition. The list is difficult to manipulate, unlike many of the others. To make it, a book must genuinely connect with readers, sell through multiple channels, and stand on its own merit. In that sense, it felt like a worthy stretch goal, one that required not just ambition and hard work, but also creating something that would truly make an impact.

With my latest book, I went all in. I spent the last six months preparing for the launch, dedicating five to six hours a day, including weekends, on marketing, interviews, outreach, and coordination. It was one of the most intense stretches of sustained professional effort in my career.

As I write this on Tuesday, the bestseller list hasn’t been released yet, but I have a strong sense that I’ll fall short. There’s very tough competition this week, and the odds don’t appear to be in my favor.

And, surprisingly, I’m okay with that.

This moment reminded me of a lesson I’ve often repeated to others but haven’t always internalized myself. Not all goals are binary. Success isn’t always pass or fail. In fact, getting to 80 percent of an ambitious goal is often more impactful than easily clearing a low bar.

Had I not set such an audacious goal, I don’t think I would have approached this launch with the same level of intensity, focus, or commitment. And without that drive, I would have fallen far short of this launch’s results. Over 14,000 copies made it into readers’ hands in the first week, and as reviews and posts pop up around the world, I can already see signs that the book is making a difference. That was the point of making the list in the first place, so I’m happy with the impact without the accolade.

That unopened champagne bottle has come to represent something a bit different now. It’s no longer just about reaching a specific outcome. It’s a reminder there is almost always value in aiming high and working as hard as you can in pursuit of something meaningful, even if you don’t hit the target.

This principle applies well beyond publishing.

A filmmaker can make a movie that touches people’s lives and changes their perspective even if they fall short of an Academy Award. Someone preparing for an Ironman who gets through 80 percent of the training ends up in far better shape than someone who never committed to the race. A startup that falls short of becoming a unicorn may still change an industry, employ great people, and provide a strong return for investors.

Great leaders also understand this. They encourage ambitious goals not because they expect people to hit them every time, but because high expectations raise the waterline for the entire team as long as people are coached and supported along the way. Bold objectives stretch us beyond what we thought was possible and help us discover our full capacity in the process.

So, while I don’t yet know the final outcome of this particular book launch, and I won’t edit this post either way, I do know this: the effort was worth it. The work mattered. And had I aimed lower, I wouldn’t be nearly as proud of what was achieved.

Sometimes the win isn’t in the result. It’s in what you learn and realize about yourself in pursuit of it. And if it’s not time to pop the cork this week, maybe it will be next week, or sometime in the future. Hard things by their nature take patience and perseverance.

Quote of The Week

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Have a great weekend!

-Bob
robertglazer.com