Big Goals Lead to Big Success

How to set goals is a question that is asked constantly. It’s a great question to ask because goal setting is one of the most important steps to becoming successful. Setting goals for yourself gives you a chance to outline all the things you need to do to get where you want to be. It’s like a road map to all the dreams you’ve ever had about achieving more.  We’ve all heard either “ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer” or on the more positive side of things “as a great question to get a great answer”. Setting goals works the same way. If you set a big goal you will achieve big dreams. Now you may be asking “what is goal setting and how am I supposed to be doing it?” Well to start the goal setting definition is the process of identifying something you want and setting up measurable goals and timeframes to to achieve what you originally wanted.This sounds simple enough but it can be difficult depending on what you dream about achieving. Here are some goal settings examples that you may have heard of before.

• Become a millionaire
• Be self employed
• Spend more time with friends and family
• Vacation more often
• Retire early
• Buy a new house
• Buy a nice car

In reality the list can go on forever. If we were going to list out everything we want in life it would take us a lifetime of writing and we still wouldn’t finish. Now you can see there are different types of goal setting too. Not everyone wants to run a business, move to a new house, or become the next Bill Gates. That’s where we get into the different types of goals to set and how to set them.

How to set what kind of goal?

Now you may be wondering what kind of goal should I be setting? The answer is it depends. If ask a million different people how many types of goals there are you will get a million different answers. Short term goals, long term goals, personal goals, professional, artistic, financial, relationship… I think you see what I mean by a million different answers. What you need to remember is a goal should have 3 main characteristics. First goals should have time limits because it creates urgency. Second they should be attainable because if it’s not possible you won’t do it. Third goals should have a specific topic because you need to know what you’re working on. Now with that in mind we need to talk about how to set goals and achieve them. There are many different methods to goal setting. Everyone should try different goal setting methods until they find one that works for them. I’ve found that the most empowering goal setting methods are SMART goals, picking The ONE Thing, or using the 10x Rule. These methods will all have different steps to set goals but they will all have the 3 main characteristics of a goal.

SMART Goals

  SMART Goal setting is one of the most common types of goal setting. Many people actually credit Peter Drucker for its invention. Using SMART goals makes sure you have every aspect of a goal that is needed to achieve it. SMART is actually an acronym. Although there have been different words used this is the most common way you’ll find it.

S.M.A.R.T.

• Specific

A goal should be specific. If the goal is not clear it will be hard to stay focused. This is one of the situations where using the 5 “W’s” can be beneficial. Goals are not meant to be broad pick something that is extremely specific like learning 100 german words.

• Measurable

 Goals need to be measurable so that you can track progress. This measuring will also create excitement if you think about how close you are to finishing. The most important question to ask yourself is “How will I know when I’ve accomplished my goal?” Find a way to measure that answer.

• Achievable

Your goal needs to be possible but it needs to push you to your limits. Don’t pick something like make 10 trillion dollars this year. That goal won’t be possible and it will hold you back. If you want to increase your income look at where you are at now and decide on something that will be difficult but achievable. A great question to ask is “how realistic am I being and how will I achieve this goal?”

• Relevant

Pick a goal that is relevant to the things you enjoy, other goals, and what matters to you. If you don’t like cars don’t make a goal of learning to rebuild an engine. You will lose interest. Goals are about finding things that are relevant to you and sticking with them until you accomplish them.

• Time Bound

Goals need to have a time limit set on them. Eventually is not a good example of a time limit. If you want to achieve a goal pick a time that will keep you motivated. Ask yourself  “Can I do this in X months, in X weeks, in X days?” only you can pick a time limit for your goals.

The ONE Thing

This method of goal setting comes from Gary Keller’s best seller “The ONE Thing”. It has set new standards for what people can achieve. It has also become one of my personal favorite books. If you get a chance to read it you should. Using this method of goal setting you still need to follow the 3 main characteristics of a goal. It needs to be attainable, specific, and have a time limit. When you are picking your “ONE Thing” you still need to keep those characteristics in mind. Your “ONE Thing” is going to be the only goal you focus on once it’s picked. Which means this goal needs to be the most important thing to you. This goal also needs to be bigger than you can imagine. A good way to do it is to go 10 times bigger than what you want to achieve. Your “ONE Thing” will be broken down into many smaller things as you go. The best way to describe this method is with a list.

What is your “ONE Thing”?

• What is “ONE Thing” you can do this year? 
• What is “ONE Thing” you can do this month? 
• What is “ONE Thing” you can do this week? 
• What is “ONE Thing” you can do today? 
• What is “ONE Thing” you can do right now? 

Each step must lead to the next step when using “The ONE Thing” method. Your goals will be set from the end to the beginning one step at a time. This method is very flexible because as you learn and get closer to your “ONE Thing” you will be able to change what you are doing for each step. I highly recommend reading “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller if you want to get the full experience from this method of goal setting. It is really a lifestyle more than anything.

10x Rule

The 10x Rule is a lifestyle that Grant Cardone lives by. In his book “The 10x Rule: The only difference between success and failure” he talks about how you can achieve success through putting in more effort than anyone else will. This method of goal setting is more of a lifestyle than any other method mentioned. The 10x Rule is about setting goals for yourself that are 10 times as big as what you want to accomplish. When you pick a goal that is 10 time bigger you will have to put in 10 times the effort. Going for such a big goal and putting so much effort in means you are guaranteed to at least reach your original goal. The 10x Rule is about getting away from average. You want to be the best at your life. This is the simplest method to use for goal setting because you are going to change your entire lifestyle. Anything you do needs to be 10 times what you expect. If you aren’t putting in the effort to be extraordinary you are being average. It is easy to be average but average people don’t live extraordinary lives. Grant Cardone does a much better job at explaining the 10x Rule than I could ever do. I highly recommend reading his book and getting involved in the 10x lifestyle.

Follow Through With Your Goals

You have gone through the effort of learning about goal setting. You’ve sat down and taken the time to make your goals. Now it is time to follow through with your goals. This is not the time ask “how to achieve our goals in life” or “how to achieve goals successfully”. This is your time to get out there and follow through. By now you will have created a list of goals to set for yourself. These are the things that you have always dreamed of. Why would you want to let yourself down? Take action and start living your dream, reach your goals by following through. You now know of 3 things that your goals should have. You know 3 types of goal setting methods that you can use. Don’t sit around waiting for your dreams to come true, make them come true. Taking one step towards your goals each day will let you live a life you never thought was possible. If you think goal setting will change your life please subscribe to our newsletter. If you have family or friends that are interested in learning more about goal setting let them know by sharing the post on your favorite social media. Thanks for reading!

Live with Purpose

Living with purpose is something that everyone should strive to do. Most of us will spend our lives question the meaning of life. The reality is that the life we create for ourselves is the meaning of our lives. Living with purpose gives everyone an opportunity to make an impact. If you find a calling that is bigger than yourself, you have found the perfect life purpose. You have found a way to leave behind a legacy that no one can take away from you. Life is too short to let it pass you by. As far as we know we only get one go around. That means that if you want to make a difference you only have one chance. Don’t live a passive life. Everyone should be able to find a way to make an impact. It doesn’t matter how small that impact is. Just taking the time out of your day to smile at 1 person could make all the difference in their life. Imagine what you can do once you have figured out your purpose in life!

4 Ways to Make a Difference

These 4 ways to make a difference are far from an all inclusive list. You may come up with a better way. What matters is that these 4 ways are a jumping point to creating a purposeful life. What makes these 4 ways fun is that you can use them in any way you want. They can be reverse for all I care. Just make sure you are putting in the effort to find your purpose, it is the most fulfilling thing you can do!

1) Find Something You Are Passionate About

The things you are passionate about are the easiest things to do. If you have a passion you can turn that energy into a positive influence for someone that needs help. That means if you like investing teach someone how to invest but if you are into working out try to find a partner to workout with. It doesn’t matter what your passion is as long as you use to help find your purpose.

2) Surround Yourself With Like Minded People

The people you spend the most time with are the people that influence you the most. If you want to find your purpose in life you need to spend time with like minded people. Your goal may be to help people, if it is then don’t spend time with people that are antisocial. If you help animals stay away from animal abusers. The people around you can make all the difference make sure they are on the same path as you.

3) Find and Create New Opportunities

When you are living with purpose opportunities will come to you. Jump on them if you can. The more involved you are the bigger difference you can make. If the opportunities aren’t coming figure out how to create them. The more opportunities you have the better your chances are of making a difference. Involvement and opportunities are the key, no one made a difference by mindlessly watching TV.

4) Don’t Live Passively

As I have mentioned before don’t live passively. It is impossible to live a purposeful life if you aren’t living life to the fullest. This is where surrounding yourself with good people, creating opportunities and finding a passion really matter. It’s impossible to live passively if you are already working towards making a difference. You have one chance to make a difference. Go out and share the things you love with people you want to be around. Give yourself a chance to live with purpose.

Take Action

Living with purpose is about taking action. You have to find your purpose it doesn’t just happen, make finding your purpose a habit! You are going to use your passions and the people around you to create opportunities. Once you have the opportunities you will have to be active. Purpose doesn’t come to those who are passive. Even though you will need to make effort to find your purpose there is no rush. It is not a competition to see who is the most purposeful.  Now it’s time to start your journey towards finding a purpose. It may start out as a smile or a wave. Eventually you will find your purpose. Once you have your purpose share it with others. Let others enjoy the passion that flows through you at every opportunity. Your purpose starts with you but ends with a legacy. Use that legacy to make a difference in the world!