5 Ways To Take The Pain Out Of Goal Setting

By Doug Bennett aka The Goals Guy® 

Do you think it will take months or even years of arduous work to achieve your goals?

If you’d asked me this question 20 years ago, I might have answered yes, but that was before I found one of my old notebooks tucked away in a drawer – and discovered that I’d achieved 10 out of my 11 goals (without really trying!).

In this blog, I’m going to share five ways that you can make goal setting an enjoyable process that inspires you to get out of bed in the morning. If you prefer, you can click here, and listen to my insights  on the Goals Do Come True podcast.

Why I renewed my commitment to goal setting

I went through a phase of setting goals and then life got in the way and I forgot about them for a while. Some of my goals, admittedly, were spurred on by the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2009. I was robbing Peter to pay Paul even though, a few years earlier, both of my parents had died within 12 weeks of each other and had left me a decent sum of money. Instead of investing or creating a financial cushion for my family, I had used the money to buy a Harley Davidson and a big house (with a big mortgage).

My wife and I found ourselves renting out rooms in our home (or space on our drive) for holidaymakers flying from Gatwick airport (close to where we live). I was roughly £120k in debt, and had a £450k mortgage.

A revelation

As I was contemplating the seriously deep doo-doo that I’d put myself in, that little notebook full of my goals resurfaced; and I realised that, even though it had been tucked away in a drawer for up to six years, I’d completed 90 per cent of the goals I’d listed (including running the London marathon).

My mounting debt, coupled with the acknowledgement that I’d achieved so many of my goals, inspired me to commit to new, bigger goals. I set an intention to turn over £100k in my business, and as soon as that happened I set my mind to earning £100k gross profit, then £100k net profit. Once I achieved all of those, I incrementally increased my goal to £200k, then £250k, then £500k.

Although I was beginning to enjoy financial success, I was gobsmacked when a firm approached me and offered to buy my business for just over £1 million (which came in two separate instalments: one in 2019 and one in 2020). Although I hadn’t strictly speaking earned the £500k, my business had generated it, and I like to think that the universe knows best. I readily accepted the money.

Are you in deep doo-doo right now?

When times were tough, I didn’t want to admit that I was struggling.  I know many of you are likely to feel that way too, so here are five simple steps you can take to turn your life and business around:

1. Build your goal-getting muscle

When you read or hear inspiring stories about people who have brought their goals to life, you realise what’s possible for them is possible for you. I’ve written two books: one specifically for people who are interested in goal setting (click here), and I’ve modified that version for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to set up their business and commit to reaching their big goals (click here). You can also tune in to my podcasts by clicking here.

2. Be authentic

It’s exhausting when you’re trying to be something that you’re not. If you’re being authentic, you don’t have to act and you never have to second guess what you “should do” in a specific situation because you’re “being you”.

Deep down you know that if you’re hiding who you really are, you’ll be on edge and likely feel depressed and unhappy. If you’re honest, you also know that people aren’t going to refer clients or customers to you if you’re a boring shit, so bring out more of who you really are!

A few years ago one of my “friends” advised me to be “less Doug”. The comment was well intentioned: my friend thought that my personality might be “too much” for potential clients. Instead, I decided to be “more Doug”, trusting that the right clients would gravitate towards me.

Being “more me” has shown that working relationships can develop quickly; if you’re always trying to be diplomatic, you’ve got to think harder (and people will wonder what you really wanted to say).

I go as far as to ask my coaching and financial services clients, “Would you like me to be honest or diplomatic?” They all choose honesty, which gives me free rein to help them get faster results! In a world full of filters and fake news, people appreciate honesty because it quickly builds trust (and people buy from people they know, like and trust).

3. Celebrate your brilliance

My parents were both in their early 60s when they died. That fact alone serves to remind me to be grateful that I even wake up in the morning.  I used to criticise myself until I decided to celebrate who I am instead. 

At a professional level, I keep reminding myself that I sold my business for £1 million, I have two books that change lives, I host a podcast, publish a successful blog, receive regular invitations to speak at events, and people tell me I’m a nice guy. When I started to appreciate and be more me, I stopped feeling miserable! You’re a magnificent individual too. Every single person has so much to share; relax and let the real you come out!

4. Make sure your goals are big enough

We all need something that makes us want to bounce out of bed in the morning. Set goals that make you come alive with passion and the heartfelt conviction that you’re going to make them happen! You need a goal that scares you a bit, and it also needs to be achievable because those early results will help you build momentum.

5. Don’t follow the herd

It’s easy to be swayed by the social media gurus telling you that you’ve got to hit £10k a month. You don’t need to make your life revolve around other people’s beliefs (and that includes mine!). Be honest with yourself about how much money you need and want to earn. Why put yourself through unnecessary psychological pain and pressure?

If you go for a goal that’s too far out of your reach, the negative self-talk is likely to start; it’ll get you down. Give yourself permission to cover the basics and build on your financial goals from there.

How strong is your goal-setting muscle?

How have your goal-setting habits changed over the years? Have you had a good run of results? Have you accomplished your goals in unexpected ways? For example, I bought my dream house and a Harley Davidson with the inheritance from my parents, and the firm that bought my business paid me £1 million; I didn’t expect any of that!

Drop me a line at doug@dougbennett.co.uk and share your thoughts; and if you’re ready to take decisive action and bring your goals to fruition next year, why not click here to book a discovery session with me? As you can tell, I’m a straight talker and there’s little I love more than supporting you to bring your goals to reality (especially since that’s one of my goals!).