Founder at eLIVate. Life coach and chiropractic coach.
Have you ever just wanted more? Define your “more” however you’d like—money, time, family experiences. No matter the desire, I’m guessing you’ve reached a point when you thought, “I’m making progress, but it’s not enough.”
When I launched my first business 16 years ago, I lived by the sales scripts and business strategies dispensed by industry gurus. My growth was marginal at best. My go-to when I didn’t see the results I wanted? Work harder. Work longer hours. Take work home with you.
I was absorbing and executing business advice that simply didn’t work for me. The advice amounted to very slow and steady growth.
What Are SMART Goals?
The idea of incremental growth until you reach a set goal is founded in the SMART goal system. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. My goals may have been smart, but they were not building the life I wanted inside or outside my business.
As I thought about setting goals in my business, I noticed I was constantly stuck on how I would achieve certain outcomes. Type A personalities can likely relate. I needed a full strategy—a step-by-step action plan that I could visualize and seemed within reach of me achieving my goals.
Then, the simplicity of the SMART approach hit me out of nowhere. What’s the point of setting goals I know I can achieve if I just wait long enough? I needed a new system.
Three Goal Types To Know
I didn’t just need a new way of setting goals, I needed to better understand the types of goals I was working toward. I now categorize goals into three segments:
1. SMART goals: These are goals you know how to achieve. You’re comfortable setting these goals. Based on experience, you know these goals are possible because you’ve done them before and understand how to achieve them.
2. Expanded goals: These are goals you believe you know how to achieve. Based on previous accomplishments, you feel you’re likely to accomplish these goals if you work harder or spend more time in the desired area.
3. Quantum goals: These are goals you consider a “stretch” and are unsure how to achieve. The path to accomplishment is extremely uncomfortable. These goals often center around health, wealth and connection.
By spending the majority of my time setting SMART goals, I was unintentionally limiting myself from growth, networking and new opportunities that have an immensely higher return on investment. When we shift our focus from the how in goal setting and simply concentrate on what, we unleash ourselves from the idea that we must have all the answers upfront.
The One-Question Filter
In order to achieve quantum goals, you must be willing to leave behind the how and operate on a higher frequency. Instead of mapping out each step on the journey to achievement, I now ask myself one question: Will this decision move me closer to my goal? That’s it. It’s a simple yes or no, and I move accordingly.
If my quantum goal is to take one week off each month to travel the world, any business decision I make runs through the one-question filter. If the answer is no, I move in a different direction. If the opportunity supports my goal, I move forward. What I know for sure is that there is no business for which this simple process will not work. It eliminates the idea of a right or wrong path to success and replaces it with elevating your goals and making consistent decisions until you reach them.
If the SMART system is too predictable and slow-paced for the elevated business and life you want to lead, it’s time to implement a system that fast-tracks your achievements. Review your goals. If you already know how to achieve each of them, I challenge you to get uncomfortable and set your own quantum goals.
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