In his TEDxAWC talk “Stop Being SMART. Start Being DUMB,” Scott Welle challenges conventional goal-setting wisdom by making the case that SMART goals—while logical—often fail to spark real transformation. Drawing from personal stories and global examples, he introduces the DUMB goal framework: Dream-driven, Unrealistic, Meaningful, and Beneficial to others. With humor, heart, and powerful storytelling, he shows how the world’s greatest breakthroughs came from people bold enough to dream big and act bigger. This talk is a compelling invitation to trade in practical limitations for purposeful possibilities—and to stop playing small with your potential. Outperformers are not born; they’re made. We ALL have the capacity to “raise our game,” and Scott Welle has spent more than 15 years helping people do this, personally and professionally. Scott’s 10 best-selling books, articles, videos, podcasts and online programs inspire hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. He has a master's degree in Sport Psychology and was named the 2021 Midwest Motivational Speaker of the Year. For “fun” (and because he’s a little crazy!), he’s completed 34 marathons, 5 Ironman triathlons, a 100-mile ultra marathon, and serves others by showing them how to tap into the mindset of challenging their self-limiting beliefs and aspiring to Outperform every day. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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