A Moonshot project.
I spent a few hours with two of my godsons a few months ago. Firstly, I went to the church, and we got into that pious state of mind together. After the service, we talked about the experience and the very special time from Christmas to Epiphany (the baptism of Christ). Then we went for a walk in the park and we talked about what was on their mind. The 12-year-old said that he is preoccupied with figuring out what to be preoccupated with. He is very much into Christianity. Sometimes he spends time alone in the church, so I encouraged him to talk more about this and discovered that he has some fears. I took some time to make him think about what it means to have Christ in you. In the end, the insight was that having Christ in you is nothing to be afraid of anymore.
The 15-year-old said that he is preoccupied to create games. How to write software code to create a game. And even more, he wants to study cybernetics to be able to create software code for the industry. But before he does that, he will play on the stock market to grow his budget. At the same time, he is preoccupied with self-growth, so he wants to read about it. His plan is to read books and learn about business administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, etc. I said that I am happy to hear all this and then I spent more than two hours talking about it. After our conversation, he had a clear strategy about how to approach the next steps. He is now convinced that he wants to study cybernetics in order to write software code. This means he must concentrate all of his resources in this direction and not waste time learning about business administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, and so on. Later, if he discovers that cybernetics and writing code are not for him, he can, of course, reconsider his way, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Then he understood that it is much better to find some problems around him, at school for instance, in his circle of friends, or in his neighborhood, and then fall in love with the problem. One day when he does this he will be able to find a solution. And when he does that it can be his first business. A business with a purpose, a business that adds value to people’s life. He deeply
understands the power of creating instead of speculating. Then I asked him why he wants to create a game. He replied that it is his passion. In this case, I said, I understand that you want to create something (a game) for yourself. A selfish way of doing things. This is a kind of “I’ll be happy when...” goal. I asked him if this is what he wants or if he would like to create a game for people. He said that actually he would like to create a game for people. So I asked him to create a gamechanger game. He didn’t get it. A game-changer refers to a concept that instigates a significant change in the approach or perception of a particular subject, ultimately leading to a transformative impact in its domain. iPods revolutionized the industry, although when they were introduced people were unsure of their purpose. Now, he is actively involved, embracing the idea wholeheartedly. I expressed my happiness about his enthusiasm and reminded him to ensure that the product he was working on is a moonshot.
A Moonshot represents a bold and innovative endeavor that is pursued without immediate prospects of profit or advantages in the short term. When presented with a Moonshot, individuals often respond with enthusiasm, saying, "I'd love to contribute!"
I inquired about his game-changing objective. The vision was evident: to develop a game-changing game and a moonshot project. I then encouraged him to explore the potential opportunities that would arise from implementing this vision. He outlined the necessary steps to apply the insight and generate momentum. Finally, I asked him to identify the smallest action that would transform the insight into a reality.
The focus has shifted from the initial "I'll be happy when..." mindset. Relying on achievement for happiness, life satisfaction or relationships can lead to unhappiness and energy depletion - a trap many people fall into. However, when the mindset changes to "I will be fine whether I achieve this or not", the goal becomes a place to come from, not a place to get to.
There is a delicate balance between enthusiasm and apprehension. A game-changing goal should position you precisely on that threshold - sufficiently excited to prompt action, yet not overly excited to lose touch with reality. A moderate level of fear indicates a genuine desire for the goal, but not so much that it leads to anxiety and paralysis. They returned home with a well-defined vision for their future, accompanied by numerous questions that would propel them forward.
When working with high-achieving adults, the goal is never to provide a definitive solution or answer their questions; instead, it is to steer them toward adopting more insightful inquiries into their lives.
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