Why Your Goals Aren't Working – PTC 519

We are into the last six weeks of the year. As you look back over the past 10 months, how are you doing on your goals you set back in January? If you're like most, your goals are struggling. In this episode, I have a great interview with Ken Williams to uncover why most goals fail and what to do about it. YOUR GOALS WITH THE END IN MIND I am big fan of beginning with the end in mind. When we talk about growing your audience, building your business, or simply refining your call to action, we often talk about starting with the end in mind. The end is the definition of your goals. Where do you want to end up? Unless you can get perfectly clear on where you want to land, your goals have no hope of succeeding. YOUR IDEAL LISTENER The end in mind is exactly why you need to clearly define your ideal target listener. How will you know if you've attracted the perfect client if you haven't defined what that looks like? Many coaches I speak with will describe their ideal client to me as an age range. They might say their ideal client is between 35- and 55-years-old. Worse yet, they might tell me they help everybody. Let's just take 35 to 55. Consider a 35-year-old. Where are they in their career? They've been working full-time in their career for ten or fifteen years. How about their family? They might have a couple kids that are 8 and 10. They spend a lot of time running their kids here and there. Now consider a 55-year-old. It's the other end of the range. Where are they in their career? Maybe ten or fifteen years from retirement. How about their family? They might have a couple kids that are 28 and 30. This person could very well be a grand parent. Now when you are trying to attract your ideal client you will describe their pains and challenges so clearly they think you are reading their mail. Do these two people sound like they have the same challenges and pain in their lives? Is the timeline to overcome those challenges similar in any way? This is the power of clarity. Start with the end in mind. CLARITY ON YOUR GOALS Now when you set goals, everyone will tell you to be specific and measurable. Start with the end in mind. So, why aren't your goals working? Why aren't you succeeding at achieving them? The problem is your goals are too smart. Smart goals aren't working, and there is a reason why. This is the reason I have Ken Williams on the show today. He will show you how to set goals you can actually accomplish. KEN WILLIAMS Ken Williams is a life coach, a chocolate cake baker, and the father of five kids. While he has authored several books, including "21 Days to Success through Networking," his career took a meandering route through call centers, sales organizations, and industrial environments, until he discovered how his past goal-setting efforts had been setting him up to fail. Now, he hosts the Bad Boss Podcast, where he helps listeners overcome conflicts with difficult bosses, and he teaches his clients how to get the results they want by setting S.T.U.P.I.D. Goals. In this conversation, Ken Williams and I get deep into the world of goal setting. We explore why traditional goals often fail and how a shift in perspective can make all the difference. Ken shares his transformative experience with obtaining a ham radio license, which changed his approach to setting and achieving goals. ARE YOUR GOALS SMART OR STUPID This episode challenges the effectiveness of SMART goals and introduces a novel concept called "STUPID goals," designed to fill gaps left by traditional methods. Ken recounts his initial reluctance to get a ham radio license and how passing the test opened his eyes to the importance of relationships and experiences over conventional goal metrics. His story underlines the significance of tying goals to personal experiences, making them more inspiring and easier to achieve. He further contrasts "stupid goals" with "smart goals," clarifying that the former emphasizes stretch, tangibility, unshakable commitment, and the possibility of achieving them realistically yet challengingly. During our conversation, Ken critiques SMART goals, pointing out their limitations in providing a clear path when goals are unmet. He emphasizes the emotional toll of perceived failures and describes how "stupid goals" can offer a more compassionate and practical framework. Using analogies and personal stories, Ken makes a compelling case for goals that inspire and energize, challenging listeners to rethink their approach to personal and professional achievement. The episode also highlights the importance of incremental, small steps in goal-setting. We discuss various techniques, including leveraging resources like print-on-demand publishing and using tools such as the app My Streaks to build habits gradually. Be sure to grab Ken's free gift. You can download his Stupid Goals Anti-Planner at https://kenwilliamscoaching.com/stupid. We have six weeks left in the year. Let's set some goals for the next year that you can actually accomplish.   If you don't have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.