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.

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Failure As A learning experience 

You’re probably wondering how to go from failure to success, but that’s not the first thing to ask. Have you ever wondered why so many people are afraid of failure? It doesn’t make sense when you think about it. People learn the most when they make a mistake. It gives you a chance to see what does and doesn’t work. Failure is the greatest teacher you will ever have. The only time failure is truly a bad thing is when you decide not learn use it as a learning experience.

How To Deal With Failure In A Positive Way

Everyone will have their own way of dealing with failure. The thing to keep in mind is that failure happens everyday. Many people actually make a habit out of failing by trying more things. You may be the best at one thing but fail at another. If you aren’t failing at something then you probably aren’t trying enough new things or you’re limiting yourself. Many people would consider that failure. Consider all the positive things that come from failure.

Failure Is Not An Option

If you don’t let failures hold you back then it won’t be an option. Any time you fail at something it is a chance to grow and change directions. Maybe you are learning to garden and you accidently used the wrong approach to weed control and killed your plants or maybe your advertising campaign isn’t working. Whatever your perceived failure is use it as a chance to be better tomorrow. Don’t let failure become an option when it can be a learning lesson.

Take More Chances

If you aren’t failing regularly then you probably aren’t taking enough chance. Many people think of failure is a pillar of success because it teaches you so quickly. People don’t like to fail so when they do they learn quickly. Babies start out walking by falling. They don’t stop learning to walk because they fell. How many times have you tried something new and quit immediately after failing? If it was more than once you aren’t taking enough chances. Anytime you get a chance to learn take the opportunity. Any opportunity to learn is an opportunity well spent.

Start Over With A New Direction

Failure will give you immediate feedback about whatever you are doing. This gives you a chance to go back to the drawing board quickly. If you fail at something take a step back and look at what you did wrong. You are learning from your mistakes. Learning is how you overcome failure. When you take a step back you will have the chance to try something new or pivot in a new direction. Don’t let failure hold you back when you could be one try away from succeeding.

At first failure may seem like it is the worst thing that could happen. Over time you will realize that each time you have failed you have grown in some way. Look at failure for the positive things it does in your life. If you let failure get you down it will be harder to keep going towards your goals and dreams.

The Most Successful People Fail 

We’re lucky to live in a world where we can learn about someone on the internet. You’d be amazed at how autobiographies and biographies exist today. Every single famous person you know the name of has failed in some way. Many have failed thousands of times before getting recognized. Failure is an opportunity for growth and learning. You don’t have to fail yourself to learn, that may even be the best type of failure to learn from.

Some of the most influential people of history have had to fail before eventually reaching their goals. A few examples are Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, and Steve Jobs.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is credited for the invention of the light bulb. What many people don’t know is that at one point in time he was told he was “too stupid learn anything” by a teacher. In the process of inventing the lightbulb he failed at least 1,000 times before getting something that worked. When asked about his 1,000 failures he would reply “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Thanks to those 1,000 steps you have lights in your house.

Michael Jordan

Many today know Michael Jordan for the successful line of shoes by NIKE, the championships while he played for the Chicago Bulls, and staring in Space Jam. Though he has become wildly successful and well known he was actually cut from his high school’s varsity basketball team. That failure pushed him to work harder. He knows that failure has created his success and it shows in this quote “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Steve Jobs

Credited for bringing Apple to the forefront of computers, phones and MP3 technology. Steve Jobs had a major failure that could have caused anyone to spiral into depression. He was let go from his own company. Recognizing that he had made a mistake he went on to buy Pixar and start another computer company NeXT. Though NeXT wasn’t as big a hit as Pixar the whole thing was a great lesson. After the success of Pixar Steve Jobs ended up back at the head of Apple. He showed that learning from your failures can bring you back better than ever.

Learn From Those Who Came Before

Learning from other people’s mistakes gives you a chance to understand what not to do before doing it. There are thousands of biographies and autobiographies out there that give you a look into the lives of others. It is amazing what you can learn from the people that came before you.

If reading biographies and autobiographies isn’t your style, have you considered a mentor? Mentors are people that have already done something you want to do. Some mentors may be many steps ahead of you while others are only one. Mentors are there to help you grow and learn from their mistakes. They will also help when you make mistakes by pointing you in the right direction.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Failure is not something you should let bring you down. It is one of the best things that could happen to you. When you fail you know that you took a chance. From taking that chance you had an opportunity to learn. Learning is the most important part of growing as a person or growing a business. You don’t think that people because successful without failure do you?

Remember the only thing that is holding you back is fear of failure. If you think about it failure is an opportunity to learn. Why on earth would you be scared of learning? Get out there and start failing more. But make sure that every time you fail you are learning and using that knowledge to grow yourself or your business. Life is to short to be fearful of failure.

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