Have you ever failed a goal?
We’re pretty sure the answer is yes. If it’s not, you’re either super-human, or you’re not pushing yourself enough.
Stats show that people are actually shocking at hitting their goals! If only 9% of people keep to their new year resolutions, then there must be something wrong.
OK, you may be thinking… they’re mere humans and not epic entrepreneurs like us!
Well, other bits of research shows that just 5% of small business owners are hitting their yearly goals.
So, what’s going wrong?
We think that most entrepreneurs are setting themselves up for failure from the get go. Goal-setting is often done terribly, because of generic advice that has been going on for years.
How to set goals – the old way
Most places will tell you to set SMART goals. It’s in all the books and even those fancy planners base the structure on SMART goals.
For those who are not familiar, SMART stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time-bound
This framework has been around for years and can be effective, but we do think it has some flaws.
First of all.. what does “achievable” mean? This is completely subjective. And if we’re already setting the wrong goals in the first place, we’re probably not a good judge of character about this.
Secondly, the “T” causes problems. Whenever there’s a deadline, people are known to take shortcuts just to get the results, no matter what.
This means low quality results and mistakes are made along the way. Not good if you’re thinking about long-term results.
How to set goals – the new way
We’ve been taking some inspiration from our founder, Sabrina Chevannes, who is a bit of a productivity guru and always seems to be smashing her goals.
If you haven’t listened to her podcast on this, definitely check out the episode on goal-setting bullsh*t.
She’s actually created her own system for how to set goals and we love it.
It’s more about creating a new identity for yourself – as someone who achieves these types of goals, and about changing your habits.
Her goal setting technique is called SHAPING:
Start Small
Go big or go home? More like, go big and go home… as you’re more likely to fail if you try to do too much too soon. Start with much smaller goals and work your way up from there.
Habit Formation
Create new habits instead of seeing them as goals. For example, if you want to go to the gym, start by just going 5 minutes a day before committing to an hour a day.
James Clear from Atomic Habits even suggests just making a habit of putting your gym clothes on when you get home as the first step!
Accountability
Get an accountabilibuddy!! Someone who you can share your goals with and will help you keep on track.
If you’d like one of the N0BS to be your accountabilibuddy, but not sure who to choose, then please let us know and we will pair you up!
Personalise
Just because you see someone else setting a goal doesn’t mean that you should be doing that goal. Make sure your goals align with YOUR path and what you want to do.
Intrinsic Motivation
Sure you can be motivated by more money or a promotion etc., but if the passion doesn’t come from within, you won’t really see the results you desire. Make sure that your goals align with what you truly want.
No
This could be one of the most powerful words in your arsenal. What you say no to is what you say yes to. Wrap your head around that sentence for a moment!
Gamification
If you’re a little bit competitive, this one is for you. Create a chart and mark your progress. Visualise it and record it and it becomes fun. You can track your calories, the leads you reach out to, the times you did a Pomodoro session… it doesn’t matter!
Whatever it is, you can then even give yourself little rewards for reaching milestones. This is a new approach that we have been working with in 2024 and we love it. Why don’t you try SHAPING your goals instead of making them SMART and see if it makes a difference to your results too!
