The one thing about goal setting that we have to keep in mind is that it’s a means to an end. The actual goal is not the point. The outcome is.
This is why it’s so important to wrap your brain around the fact that failing is not a bad thing. If you had to walk to the bank to pick up a check for $100MIL, and you tripped and fell on the way there, you wouldn’t decide that you no longer wanted to go pick up that check just because you fell. You would get your ass up, dust yourself off and keep walking — even if you had to drag one of your legs. You might even just pull out your phone and call an Uber to pick you up and take you to the bank. (Why you were walking in the first place isn’t important.)
In that scenario, the outcome you desired was to pick up your $100MIL check. The means by which you chose to do that was to walk and/or Uber.
You’ve also heard me talk about testing in the Test, Test, Test to Figure Out What Works episode of my podcast, Master Your Mission. There’s nothing wrong with trying different things to see what works to get you to your desired outcome in life. You just need to make sure that you stick to your test long enough to collect enough usable data to make informed decisions. Check that episode out to hear more about testing.
In starting my business motivating and helping others follow their dreams in entrepreneurship, I knew that I needed to establish myself as an expert. That’s the outcome I wanted. One of the means I chose to do so is my podcast. If I could no longer record my podcast as of tomorrow, I would continue to write my blog. And I’m continuing to add additional ways of getting my message out to the world in order to reach my desired outcome — which is establishing myself as an expert.
At this point, you’ve already defined your vision, so you know exactly where you want to go. Your means of getting there needs to be flexible enough to reroute if need be. So set your big goals, break those down into small goals and at all times, keep your desired outcome at the forefront of your mind. Go balls to the wall to accomplish your goals, but know that the goal is not your focus. The outcome is.