Part 2: The guide to bigger (and better) goal-setting.

Clients who set bigger long-term goals are always my most successful clients. Thinking bigger will keep you inspired and force you to level up what you’re doing now to get there. (You can check out Part 1 if you need more reasons to set big goals!)

But how do you get there when you’re not working with a coach who will push you out of your comfort zone? Below are my favorite client exercises. I have also included an example of a client named Kelsie*, to help illustrate how this all works.

(Also, goal-setting with clients usually takes 2 sessions, so feel free to spread these exercises over a few days so it doesn’t feel overwhelming and so you give yourself time to really dream.)

“Daydreaming” exercises

To figure out what you really want, try these 3 “daydreaming” activities. The purpose of this is to think really big and to get to know what you want for your future.

Craft your own celebrity bio or article. Picture yourself in the spotlight. What do you want to be celebrated for? How do you envision impacting the world with your work? What would you do if you couldn’t fail? Then write about it as if it’s already happened and you’re reading about yourself in a magazine or being introduced at an award ceremony. It should be written in third person - as if someone else wrote it about you.

Let’s take Kelsie. She is a photographer and after working together, she has written an article that goes something like this: “Kelsie is an international photographer known for capturing the significant moments in life and has made her mark on the world by fostering a rediscovered love for in-person, non-screen interactions. Her evocative work is on display in galleries throughout the US, as well as in Italy and France. She is also known for creating Photography for All, a non-profit that helps make photography equipment accessible to schools nationwide. When she’s not traveling around the world for work, she can be found in her home state of California with her puppy Jasper.”

You should include several benchmarks and things you’ve wanted to achieve in this bio and can include both personal and professional details. Write this as if it’s your reality and be unapologetically bold in your aspirations. (Hint: Once you’re happy with it, keep a copy of this on your phone or nearby to keep you motivated. I also revise mine slightly every year on my birthday!)

Create your personal roadmap. Write out a list of the things that would make you feel like you’ve arrived and have really achieved success. It can be everything from an income goal, to changing the course of history with a new invention. Let your mind really wander.

Also, remember that you get to shape the direction of your life, but it may require a bit of ingenuity. Don’t immediately write off things that seem impossible or incongruous! List your dreams and then figure out how to make it work.

Using our example: Kelsie realizes that she wants to stay in her home state of California so she can be close to her family, but still dreams of being known internationally, and would like regular travel to factor into her life. She would also like to make enough money to take a month off every summer. In order to make this work, she decides that she will continue to work locally, but will build a website to sell her work internationally, and will also hold retreats in countries she wants to visit in order to prioritize travel and build international connections.

Get creative with your solutions. Just because it hasn’t been done before, it doesn’t mean you can’t make it happen on your own terms.

Plan your wealth. You need to have a plan for how much money you want your business to make (and how much you want to be paid). You can claim that you are not inspired or motivated by money, but unless things change drastically, money equals freedom and power. Decide how much you want your business sales to be in order to make a difference in the world - and in your life. In our example, Kelsie determines that $500,000 would allow her to: pay herself and provide for her family, pay a full-time assistant, hold quarterly international retreats, invest in things like real estate, and donate significantly to helping young students discover photography.

Figure out what that number looks like - and be ambitious with it! You can set a number that will cover your goals and an even higher “reach” number.

Writing out your big goals

The next step is to take your work from above and figure out your big goals. Get as specific as you can. Then sit on it overnight and come back to it in the morning. Are they inspiring and a little scary? Good, you’re on the right path. If not, you probably didn’t take your goals far enough!

For example, Kelsie’s goals may be:

• Hold international photography retreats 4 times a year.

• Be featured in galleries in NYC, Paris, and Rome.

• Grow business to $500,000 in annual sales.

• Start a non-profit to provide photography equipment to underfunded schools nationally.

• Take August off each year.

The next step would be to take each of these ambitious goals and break them down into action plans and concrete steps. Kelsie may decide the steps to growing her business to $500,00 include gaining more publicity for herself and her business. She decides that this includes getting published in a well-known national magazine, setting up a website to sell her prints internationally, being interviewed on several podcasts, and being more present on instagram. She also decides to spend more money on classes on photography and business so that she can perfect her skills, offer an elevated client experience, and then subsequently raise her prices. So with this one goal, she has both created her action plan (that can be broken into smaller and more concrete baby steps) and leveled up her packages, pricing, and quality.

Unlike choosing a goal like making an extra 10% next year, these goals are big picture thinking and will encourage taking bigger, more uncomfortable steps right now. Kelsie should start thinking and making decisions by asking “what would a $500k, internationally-known photographer do?”

Your big goal-setting checklist

Okay, let’s put this all into practice. Set some time aside this week and do the following:

1. Write your celebrity bio or article.

2. Create your personal roadmap.

3. Plan your wealth and business finances.

4. Create a list of 3-5 big goals based on these exercises.

5. Break the big goals into action plans and small concrete baby steps.

6. Start thinking like your future self and start making some moves to level up now.

Going forward, ask yourself continually, “what would (this person in my celebrity bio) do in this situation?” and act accordingly. And then get ready for some amazing results!

-Valerie

*Kelsie is not a real client, but her goals are loosely based on those of current or previous clients (with their permission)!