Why Setting Goals Can Help You Reach New Heights

By Doug Bennett, with special guest, Carol Mae Whittick

Have you ever set your sights on a goal, only for life to throw you a curveball and knock you onto a different path?

As The Goals Guy®, I’ve navigated that detour more times than you might imagine. But I’ve come to understand that true value lies not just in reaching the goal but in the transformation that unfolds throughout the journey toward it.

I recently had an intriguing conversation with Carol Mae Whittick on the Goals Do Come True podcast (click here to listen). Carol is a spiritual life coach and the creator of the Higher Energy Resonance podcasts. HER Podcasts

But over ten years ago, her ambitions were completely different. You see, she once had dreams of becoming one of the most famous pop stars in the world. It was in trying to achieve this goal that she found her true calling. 

In this blog, I’m going to share some of Carol’s insights on goal setting and why you need to continuously take one step forward towards your goals.

Creating a new version of yourself

I was eager to learn more about Carol’s “moment of truth” – the exact moment she decided to pivot from the music industry to start a podcast and pursue a career as a spiritual life coach. As it turns out, the inspiration came during a shoot for her music video.

Carol: “I was filming a music video for one of my songs ten years ago, and my friend was taking some behind-the-scenes pictures and clips. She’d taken pictures before I had my makeup done, and then pictures of me all glammed up. When I looked at both versions, I saw a little ‘her’ and a big ‘HER’. And being a songwriter who loved to play with words and acronyms, I turned it into an acronym for Higher Energetic Resonance [which eventually became the title of my podcasts].”

Aim for the moon…

William Clement Stone, an American businessman and philosopher, once said, “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star”. This philosophy represents the beliefs that should shape our approach to goal setting and life in general. 

It’s easy to feel wary about setting big, audacious goals simply because they feel too ambitious or impossible to achieve. But Carol was quick to point out that even if we don’t get to the finish line, we can still create a unique, wholesome experience that we never thought possible.

Carol: “As long as you’re looking up and moving towards something, you’re always going to be in forward motion, as opposed to just not having anything to aim for. Take me, for example. Even though on the outside, it may look like I didn’t achieve the things [I wanted], in the pursuit of those things, I had to stay very motivated and disciplined. It also meant that I learned skills along the way that are just useful to me now. For instance, I learned to use technology and that now allows me to work from home and work on my podcast. I also met some amazing people and had so many unique experiences that I would have missed out on had I not tried at all.” 

The forward momentum

When you are clear on your personal and professional goals, you’ll avoid navel-gazing or lingering in one spot for too long. You’ll be able to move forward and expand your comfort zone in ways you never even thought possible.

I’ve lived at least 75 per cent of my life already, and even though I’ve achieved most of the items on my vision board, I’m continuously aiming to do more. It was interesting to find out that Carol shared this same mindset.

Carol: “It’s surprising how so few people have a goal or something they’re really passionate about. Goals have always pushed me forward; they’ve always given me a benchmark. And I’ve never stayed in the same place for too long because I always have my sights on something. I also like to make sure that I actually meet my goals as opposed to making a lot of hot air, which is very easy to do. In general, I just want to see where I can go with this life. I recently hit 50, and one of my current goals is to live like I’m living for another 50 years (in peak health, peak mindset, and so on). This simple goal is fuelling me to get up each day, make sure I’m eating well and exercising, and is also just keeping my mind in a good place.”

Your goals aren’t there to taunt you

Carol dropped one final nugget of wisdom that has remained with me ever since.

Carol: “The thing about goals is that you wouldn’t have any of these ideas unless they were for you. No one is coming to taunt you or dangle something in front of you and go, ‘this is what you could have had.’ It’s not like that at all. I think what we have to appreciate about these goals and visions that we have, is that there’s a future part of ourselves that’s saying: ‘if you follow through on this, this will change your life in ways unimaginable’. And it’s all for you to just keep taking one step – whether that’s learning something that will enhance your skills or learning from someone that’s achieved something similar to you.”

In a nutshell, your goals are your friends. They’re not there to taunt you or remind you that you’re stuck in a less-than-ideal situation. Instead, they’re there to illuminate what’s possible and show you that you can reach new heights. 

All you have to do is take one step forward. Is this something you’re willing to do? 

I’d love to know. Drop me a line at doug@dougbennett.co.uk, and if you’d like to transform your mindset and move closer to your goals,  join The Wealth Tribe today.