Why You Need Goals -- And How to Make Them Matter
Goals give your life purpose. Make them 10X, then conquer them.
So it’s 2025. How are those goals going? Do you have your list and did you avoid already becoming one of those sad statistics we talked about?
Did you know that the majority of people don’t have goals? According to a 2022 Gallup survey, only 33% of American adults are very likely to set goals they want to achieve in the following year. What’s worse, only a small portion of goal-setters, take critical steps to achieving goals like writing them down and creating action plans.
You might be wondering why I think goals are so important. To me, goals are everything. And they should be to you as well.
Without Goals You Betray Yourself And Those You Care About
Without goals, you are on a path to nowhere. You don’t really know what you want, or how to focus your time and energy.
Goals are the links in the chain that connect activity to accomplishment.” —Zig Ziglar
I used to be a loser, I didn’t realize it at the time — I thought I was hot shit. But the truth is, I had dreams but I never accomplished them. I never achieved things that really mattered, and I was letting a lot of people down — my parents, my girlfriend (now wife), and most importantly, myself. Without change, I was certainly on the path to a life filled with regret. At one point, it was truly hard to look at myself in the mirror.
Since then, I've relentlessly worked for 15 years to get my life in order. Goals are my anchor, my 'secret' to success.
You see, I have a lot of dreams, and so do my wife and three young kids. As a husband and parent, that means I need a lot of goals. There are a lot of people, including myself, who are counting on me to help turn dreams into reality.
Through the power of setting goals, these are some of things I got done in 2024.
Personal Development:
Reading: Read/listened to 58 non-fiction books, maintaining 52+ books/year streak for 8+ years.
Health: Prioritized sleep (6+ hours nightly), fitness (gained over 10 lbs of muscle), and eliminated chronic heartburn (no more meds!).
Work:
Role Expansion: Expanded executive role, significantly levelled up my team, and freed up 75% of my time for new goals and priorities.
Business Turnaround: I partnered with my wife and her family to save her family’s business; not only did we turnaround the ship, we’re set to assume ownership and positioned to significantly boost income for all involved.
Goal System: Developed prototype for effective goal achievement system for personal and business use.
Family:
Children:
My wife and I welcomed the birth of our third child, our first baby girl.
My 5-year-old won his first martial arts tournament, transitioned to K-12, and now reads at 7-year-old level.
We’ve been helping our three-year-old overcome an eye challenge. He’s seeing better and is now mastering his phonetic alphabet and moving on to reading books.
Family Bonds: Strengthened relationships with wife and kids through mutual goals and love.
Wife: back to working out — after years (shhh!) — proving the power of a positive environment.
Accomplishing these goals wasn’t easy, and I know that I have a bigger, and equally important list for 2025. But I know firsthand that the price I paid to accomplish my goals was much, much, cheaper than the price of living a life of regret. I am better off, and my family is better off. We are not wasting our potential, instead we are proud of our accomplishments and optimistic and excited about the future.
How to Immediately Improve the Likelihood of Achieving Your Goals
I used to make goals the normal way: safe, small, and forgettable. Something I thought was doable. I’d tell people about it. I’d get myself amped up to get it done. And, of course, I’d make a schedule. There’s just one problem. The goals never got done.
Then, one day, I discovered Grant Cardone's 10X Rule: ‘Dream bigger, work harder.’
The concept of "10X goals" or the "10X Rule" revolves around the idea of setting goals that are ten times greater than what one might normally aim for. This isn't just about setting ambitious targets but also about thinking and acting in a way that's exponentially beyond typical efforts or expectations.
In the book, Cardone explains that:
Success is about setting goals ten times higher than what might seem necessary.
You need to take actions at a level ten times greater than what you might initially plan.
This is necessary because of the unpredictability of life and business, where obstacles and setbacks are common, thus requiring an oversized effort to reach even standard goals.
Cardone's philosophy with the 10X Rule is not just about setting high goals but also about developing a mindset of massive action. He argues that most people underestimate what's needed to succeed, leading to underperformance, while those who adopt the 10X approach are more likely to achieve significant results.
Nowadays, I ensure all of my goals are 10X’ed. I don’t always hit them on target, but I do always get them done. I make sure my goals are big enough that they are worth the effort, and I expect to get in the hurt locker in order to get them done. That’s just part of the journey.
Share your 10X goals in the comments and join us in attaining them by subscribing. Remember, you already have what it takes!
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