Chapter 1: Understanding Goals

In my earlier days, I had a fondness for what I now term "lazy goals." They gave me a false sense of productivity, making me feel like I was accomplishing something important. However, it didn't take long to realize that nothing was changing, and my efforts were yielding no results.

A popular saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different outcomes." The line that separates stagnation from progress is the presence of actionable steps.

Lazy Goal Example: "I want to increase my sales."

Take my girlfriend, for instance. She is in the insurance industry and wished to secure more clients. Simply stating “I want” without a structured approach yields no results.

Lazy Goal Example: "I want to be more engaged."

I made a commitment to enhance my engagement on platforms like Medium and Twitter throughout 2023. But intentions alone are insufficient.

Actionable Goal:

I plan to contact three potential clients weekly and reconnect with one previous client. By the end of the year, this will amount to 156 new prospects and 52 reconnections.

Actionable Goal:

I will aim for specific daily targets: writing one article on Medium, posting five tweets, commenting on ten Medium articles, and replying to 25 tweets. While I can exceed these goals, meeting these minimums is essential.

By the year’s end, I will have produced 365 articles, made 1,825 tweets, and created 3,650 touchpoints on Medium, along with 9,125 interactions on Twitter. These are tangible goals that allow for concrete measures of success.

Now, reflect on your own goals. Which couple do you think will accomplish more in the coming year: the one with lazy aspirations or the one with actionable plans?

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Chapter 2: Embracing Change