Goldilocks Zone

The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a fable almost everyone knows. It is a story of a young girl who enters the home of 3 bears. In the home, she finds 3 bowls of porridge, one for the Great Big Bear, one for the Middle-sized Bear, and one for the Little Wee Bear. She tastes the Great Big Bear’s bowl first and that porridge is too hot. She tastes the porridge from the Middle-sized bear and that is too cold. She then tastes porridge in the Little Wee Bear’s bowl and finds it to be “just right.” She continues to eat the whole bowl. She then moves through their house and follows the same pattern of finding the “just right” chair to sit in and bed to sleep in. Goldilocks found her “Goldilocks Zone” where everything was “just right.” In our own lives, we operate more efficiently in the Goldilocks Zone.

In the pursuits, tasks, and goals we set in life, we should aim to place ourselves in the Goldilocks Zone. We do not want our goals and be difficult to the point where we are almost always failing. When we fail on a near-constant measure, motivation and desire to continue will falter. We also do not want our goals to be too easy and effortless. If we are only winning and succeeding we will lose the natural gratification that should appear.

Humans experience peak levels of motivation when the tasks, pursuits, and goals desired are manageable difficulty. This is the “Goldilocks Zone.” Habits and practices should remain in this zone. Not too easy, but not too hard. Working in this zone ensures that habits stay motivating and exciting. You can check to see if you are currently operating in the Goldilocks Zone by if you are winning enough to still feel successful but also failing enough to still feel challenged. The wins keep you excited and motivate you to put one step in front of the other, while the failures give you a purpose to innovate and find new paths forward.

Goldilocks understood parts of life are too “hot” and too “cold.” She kept searching until she found what was just right for her. In our own lives, we can replace the “hot” and “cold” with anything. What matters is we continue searching for walks of life where our natural genius, passions, and purpose can shine through. Life should not be too far in any one extreme. If it is, try and recenter yourself to find where your Goldilocks Zone resides. Find a life that is “just right.