From my perspective, the most important element to find success is to discover your purpose. Within that purpose is where you will find the meaning of life. In our pursuit of this discovery, we will come across decisions. Who do I want to be? How far do I want to take it? How big am I willing to dream? The answer to these questions determines the responsibility that I have to take on to fulfill my calling. Then the question is, “well, how do I take responsibility?” The answer is that you map it out, put it on your schedule, and get sh*t done. This is why I believe that goal setting is one of the core fundamentals of achievement in business. One of the most important things you can do in life is to achieve success and surpass your parent’s way of life. A great way to get there is by simply setting goals. At the start line, goals require a vision and responsibility, and over time, they produce meaning, purpose, and passion.
There are a couple of guiding principles rules that I use when it comes to goal setting for myself:
- Aim high. Far too many people set their goals too low. When you don’t set the bar high enough, you’re saying to yourself, “I don’t really believe I’ve got what it takes.” You must have the confidence that you can reach the finish line, or you’ve lost before you’ve even started. Stand tall and reach as high as you can. Listen to your intuition. You don’t need data; you need an intuitive vision for a happy, healthy, and prosperous life. You’re an achiever, so you will hit your goals but don’t set them too low, or you’re selling yourself, your family, and your community short. Share your goals out loud and never be ashamed to set crazy goals that others don’t think are realistic. If you’re not expressing the full power of your imagination, then you’re not living a full life. As humans, our need to create is as important as the oxygen we breathe. If we don’t have it, we begin to die inside. Never let anyone strip you of that freedom by giving too much of your power away to their judgment. Whatever your purpose is I want you to chase it without shame or fear realizing that the more people who call you crazy indicates the strength of your ideas. I believe that you’re capable far beyond even your own imagination. Look beyond your current grasp, and you will find a whole new world of possibilities. The most interesting thing I’ve noticed is that when you begin to believe in possibilities, your purpose somehow finds you.
- Goal setting needs to be very specific. Most people go wrong in goal setting because of the obscurity of their language. It’s too vague. For example, “I want to grow my company” or “I want to get in shape” are not specific goals. “My goal is to take my company from 0 to 100 million” is a little more specific but still not detailed enough. “My goal is to see my company go from 0 to 100 million, employ 70 people in one year, hire people based on our core values, and be an organization that has a good harmony between profit and values.” Now I’m getting specific and granular with the language around my goals, making it more likely they come to fruition because I know the road ahead. Anticipation is powerful. You select the destination and figure out exactly how to get there. I stood at a podium and told our Burn Boot Camp Franchise Partners and the hundreds of others that we are “going to the moon,” which represents our global presence, and the last place to do business will be on the moon! This visionary statement is hollow if it’s not backed up with a specific action plan.
My team and I plan for one and three years ahead in an annual planning meeting in December. We carve out the road map for the next three years from this meeting by pulling together annual KPI goals, quarterly rocks, projects, and initiatives. My Leadership Team works with each team member to set specific initiatives that roll up to our overall objectives for the quarter. These projects are then driven by a project management process that manages, evaluates, and oversees all projects being executed and completed on time. Each week I have a two-hour Leadership Meeting in which we measure our KPI’s from the last week, track progress on projects and key dates, and most importantly, identify, discuss and solve the organization’s most significant issues and opportunities. It goes much deeper than this, but I want you to understand the importance of how intentional you have to be to build a company. Business is one of the toughest arenas in the world to play in so you should always be able to articulate your visions and your road map to get there with specific, detail-oriented language anchored by key dates and deadlines.
- Failure. To take the first two steps and do them really well, you have to be willing to fail. Failure is your friend. People have a negative connotation about it, but it’s not something to be afraid of. I’m a fitness guy, and failure for me during a workout means growth. Failure = growth. When you fail at Burn Boot Camp on arm day, it’s just a short-term muscle breakdown, but it means success in the long term. Muhammad Ali once said, “don’t quit, suffer now, and be a champion for the rest of your life.” The principles we teach within the four walls of Burn Boot Camp transcend the gym and give you real-life levers you can pull. This is a byproduct of coming together as a community, celebrating fitness, and crushing our workouts.
We can fall in love with failure at the gym level because it changes our bodies, confidence, and outlook on life. It changes our self-esteem. I have failed so many times with Burn Boot Camp. In the eight figures plus. That’s okay; it’s necessary. It makes us better. My focus is on the values that drive us through the times when we fail. Being a values-based company, caring about our people more than our profit, and having harmony in both is my vision and goal for the Burn Boot Camp organization, and that’s why I am willing to fail. If I don’t push us to do things that we aren’t sure will work, then our company will never do anything interesting. Without innovation and excitement for our company, people will become disengaged over time. I personally believe it’s my moral obligation and fiduciary responsibility as the leader of an organization to take risks and fail.
