Truly Successful People Never Set Small Goals

Anyone reading this is under the idea that setting goals is the key to success. Let me start by saying… I agree 100%!

But somewhere along the line we were advised to set small goals, or “Baby Steps” as someone once put it. Here is where the disagreement comes in. Employing the strategy of setting small goals will never bring true, significant success.

Setting goals that seem enormous or completely out of reach will produce an end result far greater than the combined achievement many small goals every time.

Here’s why truly successful people “Go Big”… “Bet It All”…. and never set small goals…

They don’t require preparation or commitment.

Accomplishing small goals requires small actions that generally lack planning, organization and true commitment.

For example, let’s say you set a goal to get physically fit, then reduce it to something small like walking 10 minutes every day. “I just want to walk for 10 minutes a day- BABY STEPS!”  How much preparation or commitment does a walk around the block involve?  Most of us won’t have to manipulate our entire schedule for that one!

Setting a HUGE goal such as “running 13 miles a day” (the distance of a 1/2 marathon) sets in motion a complete change of routine that forces preparation and commitment in more ways than just leaving your sneakers by the door. If you think I’m being unrealistic and that someone in the “car business” doesn’t have the time to run 13 miles a day, I’m NOT!

Large goals require a true commitment and when set high enough, can change your life forever.

They don’t produce a life-changing outcome.

Small goals hold no true value as they are too easily achieved & their accomplishments add little to nothing to the substance of life. They don’t require an “all-in” attitude and will not produce life-changing effects.

They need to be looked at with the same intensity as if a doctor told you something like:

“If you don’t stop smoking, you are going to die”.

What would you do?  You would never have a smoke ever again! The outcome is literally life or death. You can’t get any more life-changing than that!

Think of setting goals in weight loss. What happens when you set your goal at losing 10 pounds when you really need to lose 50? You generally lose the 10 easily and wind up never following through on the last 40 pounds. And when you tell everyone about the whopping 10 pounds they will reward you with the obviously obliged “That’s Great!”  All the while you still get out of breath when you climb a flight of stairs. The 10 pounds are insignificant and inconsequential.

Set goals that are your end-all and be-all. Set them to where they must be seen as the pinnacle of success.

If you miss your target, the loss is smaller.

We’re not perfect. We’re all flawed and sometimes, we’ll miss our goals. Trust me, I’ve missed a goal or two in my time, especially some of the lofty ones. But setting low goals and not accomplishing them only sets you up for a massive feeling of failure.

Failing to accomplish a lofty goal will leave you with a net result far greater than setting a small goal and actually hitting it.

Coming up 20% short of a yearly sales goal of 300 units yields a greater result than hitting an average monthly goal of 12 units. Weight loss, yearly income, the price tag of a new house… the examples of this are everywhere!

Small goals should only be thought of as steps towards reaching a larger goal. Let’s not confuse the difference here between “tasks” or “steps” and goals. While completing each task or step is an accomplishment, it is not the goal.

Remember, the weight and magnitude of a goal are going to be different for everyone. If you’re a new store, being the #1 dealership in your area is going to hold more weight than a store that has been top dog in their state and is reaching for #1 in the country, but the journey will seem just as hard for both of you. Push yourself a few steps higher.

Honestly, why can’t your dealership be #1 in units, gross, or CSI in the entire country???? Now take away the BS excuses you just told yourself and ask again… “Why Can’t We Be #1 In The Country?”

Set your goals high… really HIGH and watch what happens!