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The truth as I see it, after decades in the trench warfare of business, is that success

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often comes from understanding the value of what I like to call anti goals.

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An anti-goal isn't something you're aiming to achieve.

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It's an outcome you actively want to avoid.

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And structuring your work and life to steer clear of these outcomes can be incredibly

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powerful.

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Let me explain with an example.

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Early on in my career, I realized that burnout was an anti-goal of mine.

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It was something I needed to avoid to remain productive and creative.

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So I established a radical regime.

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I strictly limited my daily work hours, despite the common entrepreneur narrative of the hustle.

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This constraint forced me to prioritize ruthlessly and to delegate tasks that weren't the absolute

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best use of my time.

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This approach seems counterintuitive in a culture that romanticizes overwork, but it

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was essential for my longer-term productivity and sanity.

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Another anti-goal I identified was complexity.

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Simplicity in business models, product lines, and decision-making processes means faster

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execution and fewer chances for error.

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Where many entrepreneurs seek to do more, I focused on doing less, but doing it exceptionally

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well.

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So here's my advice.

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Discover your anti-goals.

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What failure do you want to keep at bay at all costs?

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Is it losing touch with your values, diminishing quality, or something else?

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And then build systems to steer clear of it.

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For example, if a key anti-goal is making poor investment decisions, then create a framework

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for decision-making that requires validation from trusted parties before you proceed.

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Surround yourself with people who understand this approach, because the culture of avoiding

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anti-goals should permeate every level of your organization.

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Now, the logical conflict in this is that avoiding failure doesn't necessarily mean

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you're moving towards success, but what's often overlooked is that dodging critical

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mistakes preserves the resources — time, energy, capital — that can be used to capitalize

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on the right opportunities when they arise.

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It's a defensive strategy that indirectly bolsters the offense.

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Here's a call-to-action.

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Reflect on your anti-goals this week, write them down, and consider the systems, habits,

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and team dynamics you need to avoid these outcomes.

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Remember, steering clear of pitfalls is not about playing it safe, it's about playing

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it smart.

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If you've found this perspective useful, subscribe for more insights and share this

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with those who might benefit from thinking about what success really looks like in practice.

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Success isn't always about what you do, it's just about what you choose not to do.