It's crucial that you not only create goals in life and come up with reasons why you should achieve them, but that you also develop automated systems that will move you towards those goals without it feeling like work.
Wouldn't life be easy if you didn't have to work so hard to achieve those goals? Well luckily, it's possible.
If you haven't set your S.M.A.R.T. goals yet and you don't have compelling reasons why you want them, please go back and complete that step before starting on this one.
Wouldn't life be easy if you didn't have to work so hard to achieve those goals? Well luckily, it's possible.
If you haven't set your S.M.A.R.T. goals yet and you don't have compelling reasons why you want them, please go back and complete that step before starting on this one.
So what are systems and why are they important?
Lots of people I know like to joke around and call me the "Systems Guy." The reason is because I've developed the habit of systematizing everything I do so I am essentially pulled towards my goals unconsciously and nothing I do anymore feels like work.
Do you think someone like Bruce Lee felt like doing kung fu was work? Do you think he felt it was work when he went in front of the cameras and fought one of the most famous fights of all time?
Sure there is work involved to get to where you want to be, but if you love every minute of it and you're passionate about your goals with endless energy (through healthy living and certain life hacks), it becomes much easier.
Do you think someone like Bruce Lee felt like doing kung fu was work? Do you think he felt it was work when he went in front of the cameras and fought one of the most famous fights of all time?
Sure there is work involved to get to where you want to be, but if you love every minute of it and you're passionate about your goals with endless energy (through healthy living and certain life hacks), it becomes much easier.
So first, we have to break our goals down into actionable steps.
Previously, we had created a set of three primary goals related to our life purpose. In our example, they were:
Part 1: Create a mountain climbing company.
Part 2: Combine an animal rescue company with my mountain climbing company.
Part 3: Combine my current web design business with my life purpose (or create a plan to slowly step away from my web design business without allowing it to go bankrupt).
You want to take those parts and focus on them in reverse order. So let's take Part 3 and use it as an example to start with. If my life purpose is to create a mountain climbing company, I first need to know how to combine it with what I'm currently doing in my life, which is running a web design business (all this is a hypothetical example).
So let's brainstorm all the possible steps we can take to make this happen. First thing of course is that you'll need to decide right away whether you're going to combine your current job with your life purpose or figure out a way to move out of it. For this example, I'm going to move out of my current job of running my web design company.
Do you see how, by breaking your big goal down into actionable steps, your dream starts to actually look possible? This is where things start to get exciting.
Part 1: Create a mountain climbing company.
Part 2: Combine an animal rescue company with my mountain climbing company.
Part 3: Combine my current web design business with my life purpose (or create a plan to slowly step away from my web design business without allowing it to go bankrupt).
You want to take those parts and focus on them in reverse order. So let's take Part 3 and use it as an example to start with. If my life purpose is to create a mountain climbing company, I first need to know how to combine it with what I'm currently doing in my life, which is running a web design business (all this is a hypothetical example).
So let's brainstorm all the possible steps we can take to make this happen. First thing of course is that you'll need to decide right away whether you're going to combine your current job with your life purpose or figure out a way to move out of it. For this example, I'm going to move out of my current job of running my web design company.
- Discuss with my web design team ideas on how we can automate the web design business so I don't need to spend as much time running it anymore.
- Start creating training manuals and step by step checklists for all the processes in my company so if someone else were to come on and run it, they would know how to do everything I do.
- Brainstorm with my team at least five to ten ideas on how to bring in 20% more clients and get our current clients to refer at least one friend to us within the next two months.
- Hire someone to begin running the operations of the company using the money generated from the additional clientele.
- Formulate a weekly meeting plan so I can step in and work for just two hours per week and help keep the company on track.
- Use all the free time I've created for myself to begin focusing on my life purpose of creating this mountain climbing company.
Do you see how, by breaking your big goal down into actionable steps, your dream starts to actually look possible? This is where things start to get exciting.
Second, we have to schedule those steps and leverage them to others.
So we have a bunch of steps we've created, in no particular order. Now we need to take them and put dates on them so we know what to focus on first and what needs to most attention right away. So let's do that here:
As you can see, the plan shows that I would be free and ready to pursue my dream within just two or three months, depending on how aggressive I want to be. Of course problems will arise and it might take me an extra few weeks, and I may have to come in to work more frequently at the beginning, but this sort of plan inspires me to take action to make my dreams into reality.
Additionally, note how the action steps from earlier were made more clear and actionable, and how I was also able to leverage certain tasks to other people so they could help me reach my goal faster.
- Monday, March 20th (1 week from now) - Meet with team to discuss automating the web design business and let them know of my plans to leave.
- Monday, April 21st - Create training manual for web developers. (LEVERAGE - Rachel)
- Monday, April 21st - Create training manual for client relations. (LEVERAGE - Jim)
- Monday, April 21st - Create training manual for invoicing clients, etc. (LEVERAGE - Mary)
- Friday, March 25th - Have a three hour meeting with key team members to discuss ideas to bring in additional clients.
- Friday, April 1st - Implement additional client ideas we discussed and schedule dates for those.
- Monday, May 5th - Hire an operations manager.
- Friday, May 9th - Sit down with team and figure out the categories for our weekly meetings. Run first two hour weekly meeting.
- Friday, May 16th - Run second weekly meeting and inform team I won't be in next week until Friday.
- Monday, May 19th - FIRST DAY OUT OF THE OFFICE - Brainstorm action steps for creating my mountain climbing company with the free time I'll have that week.
As you can see, the plan shows that I would be free and ready to pursue my dream within just two or three months, depending on how aggressive I want to be. Of course problems will arise and it might take me an extra few weeks, and I may have to come in to work more frequently at the beginning, but this sort of plan inspires me to take action to make my dreams into reality.
Additionally, note how the action steps from earlier were made more clear and actionable, and how I was also able to leverage certain tasks to other people so they could help me reach my goal faster.
Third and most importantly, we must end our procrastination and put our brain on autopilot.
I think this is the most fun part of the process. This is where we get to ask ourselves a short series of questions that will re-link our goals unconsciously to our higher values so that we start to get pulled towards them. I like to joke that you're almost "brainwashing" yourself into being pulled towards your goals effortlessly.
Now, I hate to feel like I've let you down here, but unfortunately this specific set of questions can't be done by yourself. I hope I've given you enough value by this point for you to trust me and be interested in having a one on one coaching session. If you haven't already, you should schedule your free coaching session with me so I can help you with this part. And if you have done a session already, I'll offer you one more free coaching session if you can get a friend of yours to also schedule a free coaching session with me (referrals are very much appreciated). Otherwise just email me and I'll let you know the cost of this session.
Remember, the coaching session takes place on a phone or video call, so it's very convenient. It is also completely private and confidential.
Now, although you can't do the re-wiring process solo, you can absolutely build leverage within yourself to start to push your brain in the right direction. To do this, simply answer the following questions and then start taking action to make all the work you've done a reality!
Now, I hate to feel like I've let you down here, but unfortunately this specific set of questions can't be done by yourself. I hope I've given you enough value by this point for you to trust me and be interested in having a one on one coaching session. If you haven't already, you should schedule your free coaching session with me so I can help you with this part. And if you have done a session already, I'll offer you one more free coaching session if you can get a friend of yours to also schedule a free coaching session with me (referrals are very much appreciated). Otherwise just email me and I'll let you know the cost of this session.
Remember, the coaching session takes place on a phone or video call, so it's very convenient. It is also completely private and confidential.
Now, although you can't do the re-wiring process solo, you can absolutely build leverage within yourself to start to push your brain in the right direction. To do this, simply answer the following questions and then start taking action to make all the work you've done a reality!
Click the button above to finalize your answers and submit them, and then you'll be able to set up your free life coaching session aimed at rewiring your brain so it automatically moves you towards your goal without any feeling of effort.
Note: Everything on this form is private but will help us develop a coaching model customized for you, If, after the session is complete, you'd like to start private life coaching, we can discuss available coaching packages.
Note: Everything on this form is private but will help us develop a coaching model customized for you, If, after the session is complete, you'd like to start private life coaching, we can discuss available coaching packages.
About Me
Martin Bentsen
Martin Bentsen, founder of Bentsen Breakthrough Consulting, has spoken numerous times at New York University, has run educational seminars at Actor's Connection on branding and marketing strategies for performers, and has written a 60 page informational book called Get Cast™, focusing on marketing tactics actors can use to find more consistent work. He is a member of both the National Association of Sales Professionals and Sales & Marketing Executives International, two highly acclaimed marketing organizations in the United States.
Martin graduated in 2011 with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' Film and Television program with a focus on directing and in 2010, he founded City Headshots®, which, according to Yelp, is ranked the top headshot studio in the United States. City Headshots currently employs seven people and has locations in New York, Denver, and Philadelphia. Some of City Headshots’ repeat clients include well known companies such as LinkedIn Corp, Facebook, American Express, and many of its photos have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
As a business owner who has grown a photography business from zero to half a million dollars per year, Martin not only understands the intricacies of marketing and finding clients, but also what it takes for clients to successfully navigate the marketing world and make themselves memorable. He coaches small business owners one-on-one with their branding, marketing, and operational strategies, and in how they conduct themselves with actual clients.
Martin’s long term goal is to run major business seminars across the country while expanding his City Headshots brand to go international.
Martin graduated in 2011 with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' Film and Television program with a focus on directing and in 2010, he founded City Headshots®, which, according to Yelp, is ranked the top headshot studio in the United States. City Headshots currently employs seven people and has locations in New York, Denver, and Philadelphia. Some of City Headshots’ repeat clients include well known companies such as LinkedIn Corp, Facebook, American Express, and many of its photos have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
As a business owner who has grown a photography business from zero to half a million dollars per year, Martin not only understands the intricacies of marketing and finding clients, but also what it takes for clients to successfully navigate the marketing world and make themselves memorable. He coaches small business owners one-on-one with their branding, marketing, and operational strategies, and in how they conduct themselves with actual clients.
Martin’s long term goal is to run major business seminars across the country while expanding his City Headshots brand to go international.