You should have already completed the Life Purpose exercise before you start setting goals. If not, I highly encourage you to take action on that before moving on to this tool.
If you have already completed that step, scroll down and let's get started!
If you have already completed that step, scroll down and let's get started!
Let's set some goals.
Now that you know your life purpose, it's time to break that down into smaller chunks. In most cases, you'll be worried that your life purpose is too different than what you're currently doing for you to focus on it solely. If that's the case, use this goal setting workshop to help you combine what you're currently doing with your life purpose.
So how do you divide your life purpose into three primary categories of overarching goals and combine it with what you're currently doing?
Let's use the example from the life purpose page. If your life purpose is to create a worldwide company that helps connect mountain climbers to their sport, while using the funds generated to help save animals, how can you break that down into three distinct areas? One of those areas should be focused on combining your current work with your goal, or moving out of your current work and towards your goal.
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).
In other words, what are the different areas of your life purpose?
So how do you divide your life purpose into three primary categories of overarching goals and combine it with what you're currently doing?
Let's use the example from the life purpose page. If your life purpose is to create a worldwide company that helps connect mountain climbers to their sport, while using the funds generated to help save animals, how can you break that down into three distinct areas? One of those areas should be focused on combining your current work with your goal, or moving out of your current work and towards your goal.
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).
In other words, what are the different areas of your life purpose?
Let's break those three goals down to be more specific, or S.M.A.R.T.
It's very important that your goals are able to be acted upon. S.M.A.R.T. happens to be an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Focused, and Timed.
Take each of the three goals you wrote above and re-define them so they are S.M.A.R.T.
For example:
Part 1: Create a mountain climbing company.
S = Specific: This goal is not very specific, so how can we be more specific? BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that takes lots of people on expeditions and also hosts fun comedy shows during evenings before ascents.
M = Measurable: This goal is not really measurable. We need to have tangible evidence that we have completed the goal. BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations that take at least five thousand people on expeditions every year. Each location will host a fun comedy show the night before every ascent.
A = Achievable: This goal is achievable, even though it has not yet been broken down further. It is something that's possible if enough effort is given.
R = Results-Focused: This goal is results-focused but could be defined a little more clearly to show the end result. BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations and takes at least five thousand people every year on the expedition of a lifetime that they'll never forget, beginning with an amazing comedy show the night before the initial ascent.
T = Time-Bound: This goal is not time-bound. We need to set a realistic deadline for the goal. BETTER: By January 2025 (eight years from now), I will have created a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations and takes at least five thousand people every year on the expedition of a lifetime that they'll never forget, beginning with an amazing comedy show the night before the initial ascent.
Take each of the three goals you wrote above and re-define them so they are S.M.A.R.T.
For example:
Part 1: Create a mountain climbing company.
S = Specific: This goal is not very specific, so how can we be more specific? BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that takes lots of people on expeditions and also hosts fun comedy shows during evenings before ascents.
M = Measurable: This goal is not really measurable. We need to have tangible evidence that we have completed the goal. BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations that take at least five thousand people on expeditions every year. Each location will host a fun comedy show the night before every ascent.
A = Achievable: This goal is achievable, even though it has not yet been broken down further. It is something that's possible if enough effort is given.
R = Results-Focused: This goal is results-focused but could be defined a little more clearly to show the end result. BETTER: Create a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations and takes at least five thousand people every year on the expedition of a lifetime that they'll never forget, beginning with an amazing comedy show the night before the initial ascent.
T = Time-Bound: This goal is not time-bound. We need to set a realistic deadline for the goal. BETTER: By January 2025 (eight years from now), I will have created a worldwide mountain climbing company that has at least twenty-five locations and takes at least five thousand people every year on the expedition of a lifetime that they'll never forget, beginning with an amazing comedy show the night before the initial ascent.
Why do you want it so bad?
95% of the time, the method of how you're going to do something is far less important than why you want to do it. The reason for this is because without a strong enough "why" you'll never find the "how" and you'll likely give up.
I could hand you a detailed, step by step plan on how to get the ripped body of your dreams, but would you be willing to put in the effort if you didn't have much of a reason to want to get fit?
Now, if I withheld that step by step instruction plan and you wanted to get into great shape so badly because of how healthy you'd be, who you'd impress, and how awesome you'd feel, do you think you'd put in the effort to go find information, tools, or someone else who could help you? Much more likely.
The same is true for any goal you have. Not many people can give you the "how" map, but if you have enough reasons why you want something, chances are you'll be motivated to go out and figure out how to make it happen.
So now your final step is to figure out why you want to reach all three of these goals so badly.
Keep these reasons handy and refer back to them any time you start to slow down, feel overwhelmed, or get tired. These reasons are your fuel!
After completing this, it's time to break those goals down and put your brain on autopilot.
I could hand you a detailed, step by step plan on how to get the ripped body of your dreams, but would you be willing to put in the effort if you didn't have much of a reason to want to get fit?
Now, if I withheld that step by step instruction plan and you wanted to get into great shape so badly because of how healthy you'd be, who you'd impress, and how awesome you'd feel, do you think you'd put in the effort to go find information, tools, or someone else who could help you? Much more likely.
The same is true for any goal you have. Not many people can give you the "how" map, but if you have enough reasons why you want something, chances are you'll be motivated to go out and figure out how to make it happen.
So now your final step is to figure out why you want to reach all three of these goals so badly.
- Come up with a list of five reasons why life will be so amazing if you reach each goals. Think of where you'll be 20 years from now if you accomplished all these things.
- Come up with a list of five reasons why you'd be extremely sad and unhappy if you looked back on your life 20 years from now and felt regret that you never achieved these goals.
Keep these reasons handy and refer back to them any time you start to slow down, feel overwhelmed, or get tired. These reasons are your fuel!
After completing this, it's time to break those goals down and put your brain on autopilot.
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.