Goals: Set ‘em High!

Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the widely successful Chicken Soup for the Soul series, spoke at a workshop I attended several years ago:

“We set ourselves the goal of selling a million copies the first year. We only sold 800,000,” he said with a smile. “Did we fail to reach our goal? Hardly.Big goals get big results!”

All too often, small business owners think in terms of modest, easily attained goals. Hansen’s remarkable example shows how setting heart-stopping goals can not only increase your odds of success, but can also help make the journey an exhilarating one.

When Kate Kelly joined one of my Mastermind groups she came with an ambitious goal in mind. Already an accomplished author of motivational books, Kate was eager to take her new message on the road. At our first meeting, with the group’s help, she established her Major Goal: to secure 12 speaking engagements in four months!

A large part of what happens in the Mastermind groups I lead is a pooling of experience, intelligence and resources in support of each other’s goals. Everyone was excited about Kate’s lofty goal and was ready to cheer her on.

Kate’s first “assignment” was to book two engagements to speak at Rotary Club events. It seemed like a manageable first step, but at the next meeting Kate reported that she’d had no luck with the bookings.

“The most important shift we made (as a group) on my goal was when I came back and reported how hard it was to track down the correct people in Rotary Clubs. Though Rotary Clubs are likely to be attended by those who might hire me in the future, you all pointed me in whatever direction I could go to stay on task. We never really know where the next lead comes from.  And of course, each of you gave me leads in whatever direction you could... invaluable!”

Having accepted that the timing wasn’t right for the Rotary club route, Kate changed gears. She began searching out other venues, such as libraries, and launched a broader marketing approach that brought her closer to her ultimate audience.

“The Mastermind group pointed in whatever direction I could go to stay on task,” Kate said.

This is how Kate Kelly’s professional speaking goals evolved:

Big Goal: Book 12 speaking engagements by May 15

Session 2 goal: book 2 engagements through Rotary connections

Session 3 goal: give demo talk to group

Session 4 goal: email group members for leads to speaking opportunities

Session 5 goal: make 12 calls for speaking ops

Today’s count: Kate had succeeded in booking 13 speaking engagements!

Kate set a huge goal and her tenacity, dedication and willingness to take feedback, played a large part in her formula for success. But, by Kate’s own admission, it was the support and creativity of the group that steered the way to her ultimate destination and success.