The first time you hear Gary Vaynerchuk talk about how he’s going to buy the New York Jets, you’ll probably let out a chuckle. The second time you hear it, you’re still in “suure” mode. The third time, you start to believe that Gary is fucking serious. By the fourth time, you know he is.
Once that realization sinks in, it’s a new day. Here’s a guy with such an outlandish goal, given where he is today. And he believes that it’s actually going to happen. He’s actually working towards making it happen. It might have a long horizon, but every day is a tiny bit of work going into making that happen.
That’s incredibly inspiring. If Gary can think it’s okay to work towards owning the Jets, then I can surely work towards turning 37signals into a $100 million/year company. Or race the 24 hours of Le Mans and stand on the podium at the end of it.
Now something magic happens when you believe that your big goals are achievable and you make those goals public. You start thinking, plotting, and doing all the little steps that are going to take you there.
Hey, if I’m going to stand on the podium of Le Mans, I better start racing a car that’ll be similar to that and in a series that’s going there. If we’re going to turn 37signals into a $100 million/year company, we better start thinking about how we can keep more customers from canceling during their trial.
So what’s your big goal? Make it public and we’ll egg you on.
Christophe
on 06 Oct 10Beat Shopify.
Raymond T. Hightower
on 06 Oct 10Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”, would call that a BHAG: big hairy audacious goal. BHAGs inspire people and teams to greatness. I wish you well with both goals: $100M for 37signals and the Le Mans platform for you.
AstonJ
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to make a ‘social network’ that will take on the big boys, and maybe, just maybe win.
Is that ambitious enough?
Eric
on 06 Oct 10I was once in business with a guy who never wanted to publicize his goals because he didn’t want to be embarrassed if they fell through. Paul Graham advocates doing the opposite, for the reasons you state above: once your goals are out there, the (good) pressure is on to work and make them happen.
As for me, my goal is to make my current side business a full-time concern, and to then be featured in a 37signals’ “Profitable & Proud”.
TechSlam
on 06 Oct 10Own a startup inspired from the thoughts and ideas of 37Signals and make it a big success.
buhrmi
on 06 Oct 10Create a browser game that captures the spirit and is as awesome as the Final Fantasy series.
Blain Smith
on 06 Oct 10Underdo Evernote and Delicious with a secret weapon in the works.
Guillaume
on 06 Oct 10Funny that Derek Sivers thinks the opposite in his TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html
Steve
on 06 Oct 10Own a pair of Ferrari 430’s, one in Rossa Corsa and one in slate grey, and to create a £40m pa casual gaming company.
Ben McDonald
on 06 Oct 10Become the first advertising platform using Twitter Hashtags as a form of targeting your impressions. We have our first attempt live at http://hashalbum.com, now working on messaging and ease of understanding.
Lenny
on 06 Oct 10The timing of this post is interesting for me because I just watched a TED talk that introduced research that showed that making goals public can have a negative impact on actually reaching the goal – research that dates back to the 1920s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHopJHSlVo4
For me, making goals public has not helped me reach my goals, historically, but I think it depends on the person.
Bijan Himself
on 06 Oct 10Making goals tangible by writing them down always seemed pretty obvious to me. What wasn’t obvious were the benefits of making them public.
Over the years I’ve created a ton of huge goals for myself. I’ve managed to accomplish some, and I’ve managed to fail miserably at others. Regardless of my success, I’ve always tried to lock myself in a room somewhere and guard my goals as if no one should ever find out what I was really after.
After recently reading Scott Belsky’s book on Making Ideas Happen, I’ve come to realize the importance of sharing your goals and leveraging the power of the community to help make them happen, as well as to hold yourself accountable for getting shit done.
Jameson
on 06 Oct 10My goal is also standing on the podium at Le Mans, the top step to be exact…perhaps we might be on that same step at some point?
Ellis Benus
on 06 Oct 10I want to be a millionaire by the time I’m 30 (4 more years).
However, I want to be a minimalist millionaire. My millionaire goal is to own nothing. :-) Or at least next to nothing.
I want to own my own company that is primarily self ran (selling a product preferably) and will allow my wife and I to travel the world indefinitely.
Tanner
on 06 Oct 10My all-encompassing creative agency is going to be the best in the world when it comes to helping small businesses grow (and only small businesses).
Just watch.
Doug C
on 06 Oct 10“Observation changes behavior.” Once we publicly state our goals they’re observable - and once that’s true, our behavior changes - we think more about, and work harder to achieve, those goals.
Rich S
on 06 Oct 10Not that anyone has asked for my opinion :) but Derek Siver’s method is more applicable to individuals rather than organizations, and smaller goals rather than larger goals. Stating our intentions is one thing, but I think David’s trying to say that if you make a large public statement and (here’s the key) stick to it, people will take you seriously and start to think about how they can help you achieve that goal.
I did really enjoy Derek Siver’s talk, though. Had a lot to think about.
Victoria
on 06 Oct 10@DHH
Is that why you purchased a $3 million Zonda race car?
Rich S
on 06 Oct 10Oh, and my goal is to start my own company and make 100k+ by the time I’m 35!
There are plans as to how but I’m keeping those under wraps for now. ;)
Lee McAlilly
on 06 Oct 10While I understand that it can be a pitfall to give into the fear of not wanting to state your goals because you’re afraid you might fail, there’s also power in keeping things a secret.
Sometimes you have to guard what’s closest to you. If you have the discipline to do the work required, there’s power in knowing that you’ve got something up your sleeve.
Cpt. Obvious
on 06 Oct 10There is value in knowing when you are facing delusional people.
Amar Patel
on 06 Oct 10I am 20 years old. I got tired of Facebook and the whole concept of social networks altogether. I quit and started to build something better…
I am building a compassion network to realize human potential, eliminate needless suffering, and heal planet Earth.
I am inspired by Buddha, America, Apple, and 37signals. I hope you guys reach your goal of making more people productive.
Jason Klug
on 06 Oct 10Regarding stating goals publicly vs. keeping them to yourself: It depends on how you are best motivated for that particular task.
I have a few side projects that I’m keeping to myself, because I’m intrinsically-motivated-enough about those projects to get myself to the finish line. (no pun intended, but I would think this is similar to David’s Le Mans goal). In these cases, it’s not worth the public weighing in with their $0.02… I’m moving on it either way and I’ve got the internal “juice” to make it there.
There are other goals of mine that I get a lot of help from stating them publicly… almost as a way of soliciting motivation from those around me. The people I care about know the goal and can keep me on task. For me, these are usually more financially-related (i.e. “I want to make $X in profit this year”).
Dan Pink wrote a great book on motivation that’s well worth a read if you’re interested in the subject:
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
J. Simmons
on 06 Oct 10My goal is to make a living with my two comic strips. They’re fun and extremely satisfying, so why not do that for a living?
Darcy
on 06 Oct 10A contrarian view: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html
Jon
on 06 Oct 10Nice post David, Vaynerchuk was funny at this year’s SXSW. Two things 1st Re: Cancellation during trial – at bcToolkit we offer a free copy of REWORK (paperback) with 1st months subscription payment. That had an effect, plus now offering a referral system for a free copy as well. Its a double win you get a royalty and we get a customer. 2nd Re: Le Mans If we get enough customers I’ll split the cost of Le Mans with you. Its always been an ambition of mine as well.
Fred
on 06 Oct 10David, Is that you in the Porsche? Well done! (I race schlub ChumpCar/Lemons type cars not, but share the same LeMans dream). In the mean time, being able to do Industrial Design on a full time Freelance basis while being able to afford to go racing and live anywhere we want is what I’m gunning for. Ok, and maybe a kart track in the back yard,, that’s world class.
James
on 06 Oct 10Build a better Basecamp.
Teja
on 06 Oct 10Soooo. You say in Rework that all companies don’t need to be 100m$/year companies, and that you should be fine with letting customers go if they’ve outgrown you when you find your niche AND that you need to realize what the size of your company ideally should be and you should stick to that instead of trying to mindlessly expand.
What changed?
Petros Amiridis
on 06 Oct 10Let me share one of my goals:
Build a decent Ruby/Rails community in Greece and create an exotic Ruby on Rails conference on some magic Greek island where famous Rubyists would come from all over the world. The speakers and the visitors could combine their summer vacation with attending the conference.
Current status: Community member count == 1 (me)
Need to work harder so it seems.
Michael
on 06 Oct 10My goal is to have a 9 inch penis.
David makes some interesting talking points, but leaves out the obvious fact that some things are simply out of our control, no matter how much we try to talk ourselves into believing it.
Unni Koroth
on 06 Oct 10The number of users of our opensource software – “Fedena” will overtake Facebook in next 3 years. It is achievable because once it gets installed in a school of 1000 students, we get 1000+ users. :D
Brad Miller
on 06 Oct 10Turn Lift (http://www.liftux.com) into an even more user experience powerhouse and make Upthemes (http://www.upthemes.com) the #1 WordPress theme retailer in the world.
Dan Voell
on 06 Oct 10www.gobuzz.com – 1 million in revenue next year.
Antonio Cangiano
on 06 Oct 10My audacious goal for http://anynewbooks.com is to promote reading and inform millions of subscribers about hot new releases.
Jen
on 06 Oct 10I think some of you misunderstand what an audacious, crazy, big & hairy goal really is. Creating a product isn’t one.
I’m going to be on stage at TED and an angel investor by the time I’m 35.
Ted Roden
on 06 Oct 10Change the way people work: http://www.fancyhands.com
Benjamin Nortier
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to build a space elevator
Benjamin Lupton
on 06 Oct 10To change the way the web works… for everybody… with jQuery Ajaxy.
On another note this subject is extremely related to using Timeline Therapy to introduce goals. The concept behind Timeline Therapy is you place the accomplishment of your goal in your unconscious, set the time and evidence procedure in the future, dump that goal there, and then notice how your past is aligning to achieve it and notice how the future is better because of it. It’s a HUGE topic of NLP.
Vojto
on 06 Oct 10Create a product that every human in the world will want to buy.
—
Stop with the lame ads.
Eliezer Yudkowsky
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to build a recursively self-improving Artificial Intelligence with a stable benevolent goal system that can grow up into a benevolent superintelligence and optimize the future light cone of Earth-originating intelligent life. I win.
itchy
on 06 Oct 10Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary in 42 years.
Colby
on 06 Oct 10Accomplishing goals is like ‘tacking’ when you’re sailing. You have to make many turns and go through many points along the way but you still are always moving closer to your goal. Well said.
My goals: I want to buy a real estate investment property.
My big(er) goal would be to start a succesful company.
DHH
on 06 Oct 10Teja, nothing changed. I believe we can be a $100M/yr company and still be tiny (~30 people). I believe that if we don’t make it there, that’s going to be OK as well. And I also believe that we can get there with our current products (niche).
Ben Saunders
on 06 Oct 10I’m planning a camping trip (and I’m torn between Sivers and Vaynerchuk – talk is cheap, after all)
Anthony Brown
on 06 Oct 10As has already been mentioned, this is something Jim Collins is a big fan of! He also likes to make the process easier with a simple question: What does your team/product/organization look like in 15-years!?
Pablasso
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to buy 37signals.
FranG
on 06 Oct 10No offense man, but I’m not clear on how this syncs up with Getting Real. I like bold brushstrokes as much as the next guy but I think there’s a difference between people that say things like this. Buying the Jets is what could be argued as a step of degrees for Gary, just like a $100 million company is one for you. Many of the people you’re educating with your philosophy here aren’t going to be well-served by fixating on the same types of goals right now.
Not to put words in your mouth, but I interpreted Getting Real as focusing on the next step, not the 100th.
Greg
on 06 Oct 10@Pablassso Why purchase 37signals? Much rather have the pleasure to work with the group rather than trying to purchase the company.
And on that note, my goal: To be a contribution to the 37signals team someday.
SU
on 06 Oct 10Enter the Breck Epic and finish in the top 5… On my singlespeed.
DHH
on 06 Oct 10Fran, cloning other people’s big goals was always going to be a bad idea. Your big goal could very well start with “build a profitable business”. Once you get to that point, you can dream again.
My current goals would not have been relevant for me 5 years ago.
James
on 06 Oct 10Persuade DHH to write code on / in the Microsoft ecosystem
McF
on 06 Oct 10I’m 30. I want to make iOS and web apps that will generate income for me. After that is accomplished I want to go back to school to become a doctor and specialize in Cardiology.
Those are pretty ambitious right?
nathan
on 06 Oct 10My goal is to figure out how to shamelessly plug my site/product in to a comment thread without feeling all the shame… (looks like a number of people have beat me too it)
jessecoombs
on 06 Oct 10Run a cinema my way.
FranG
on 06 Oct 10Fair enough. For what it’s worth, I think hearing goals aren’t inspiring at all. Achievers and losers alike have goals. What is inspiring is the achiever that made shit happen and accomplished them.
The only way I can enjoy hearing about goals is in hindsight because it always acts as a hint for duplicating their success. Otherwise, it is impossible to know if the person setting them is just a blowhard. Present company excluded, of course.
Zeynel
on 06 Oct 10To let the world know about the “Newton Code.” http://science1.wordpress.com/about/
Anand Dhingra
on 06 Oct 10My problem is too many ideas, and not enough courage to just pick one, focus, and get to work. Here’s a few, which are mostly products:
- Websites for contractors. The whole industry could use some cleaning up. Great websites are a solid start. - Websites for photographers. Most suck. - Make an app for lists. Call it Lists. Let people make lists, link them to make more lists, and share them. Most folks use spreadsheets for these types of things. Publish a spec for lists. RSS is a good place to steal some ideas. Providers compete on quality of implementation, customer service, etc. Over time, Lists can be used to build applications, and connect services together.
I suppose I could think of goals for each one of those, and then get brave and pick one and start. But part of me feels that with crafting goals, I should really reach for the sky.
I’m stuck.
Americo Savinon
on 06 Oct 10Hey David, Didn’t now about that nice Pagani Zonda HH. Congrats! Would be great if you post a video to see it and hear the engine.
Ben
on 06 Oct 10@DHH
How far off are you from your $100M/year goal?
sb
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to open the best BBQ restaurant in the Midwest.
Mihael Konjević
on 06 Oct 10We want to change the perspective on CMSes by introducing healthy logic and controlled flexibility. Let’s call it a sort of a hybrid.
Rick
on 06 Oct 10Going to turn Cheeky Monkey Media into a 7 figure company.. starting now
Matt
on 06 Oct 10Create a new entertainment business model that brings a new value system to content and its customers, forever changing the way people consume and value entertainment content! Mark my words!
Nico
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to animate on a Pixar film. There.
Matt McGinnis
on 06 Oct 10To steal the high-ticket classifieds market from craigslist and ebay.
Eddie_Catflap
on 06 Oct 10I’m going to buy Middlesbrough Football Club. Either by making a ton of money or waiting until it goes even more downhill than it has at the moment (in which case I’ll pick it up on the cheap).
Jean-Rémy Duboc
on 06 Oct 10I want to: - make money online so I don’t ever have to work for someone else again - Be an artist: writing drawing photography musi - Be a recognised open-source developer and eLearning designer - Get a house - All of this will be done for the children I want to adopt with my lovely wife.
Oh, and I want to finish my PhD in computer science as well. I’m doing all this, right now. In three to 5 years it will all happen.
pauline
on 06 Oct 10my goal is to grow the balls to approach the 37 signals team with a social networking/community idea that ties really well into their ta-da product.
it’ll happen. i hope.
HockeyBias dot com
on 06 Oct 10Awesome!
TomBrauch
on 06 Oct 10And here I thought you guys converted every free trial. Nice to know we’re not the only ones who want to improve our conversion. I am so interested to know what your conversion rate is for free trial to paid.
My goal is for you to tell me that.
farawaygarry
on 06 Oct 10Getting funded as a single, non programmer founder who lives 11k+ miles from the valley [willing to move though :)]. That looks ambitious enough for now. Next step : making a true impact on the way people use internet, and take millions in the process.
Just my 2 cents, I can see why stating one’s goal is a good starting point to then actually work to achieve this goal. But in everything I’ve done, and from what I’ve seen lots of time, talking about something brings unneeded attention and stress, that one doesn’t need in his process of accomplishing something.
Ghost
on 06 Oct 10I am going to get me a Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Patrizio
on 06 Oct 10There is a very inspiring book written in Dutch called ‘The Creation Spiral’ it explains the natural way from idea to realization. I believe the book is in progress to being translated in English.
But linking back to this article, I would like to mention the quote in the preface of the book:Patrizio
on 06 Oct 10There is a very inspiring book written in Dutch called ‘The Creation Spiral’ it explains the natural way from idea to realization. I believe the book is in progress to being translated in English.
But linking back to this article, I would like to mention the quote in the preface of the book:John Louis del Rosario
on 06 Oct 10Start my own design firm. SOmeday..
Matthew Burton Gerring
on 06 Oct 10Buy NewsCorp and liquidate its assets. And you can take that to the bank.
Johnathan O'Connor
on 06 Oct 10I like Ubuntu’s “bug #1” in this respect.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1
Tim
on 06 Oct 10Have my coffee finding website and iPhone app be #1. Have my Tour de France and L’Etape du Tour trip planning websites be #1 for planning trips to France for Le Tour and L’Etape.
Associated ebooks, advertising stream to pay passive income so I can live in Byron Bay, surf The Pass every day, breakfast at The Bayleaf, then ride my bike in the Byron hinterland.
Bliss.
By the way, my gf and I are buying in Byron within 60 months, so we’re getting cracking on our outside-the-9-5 businesses.
Sort of crystallises your goals.
Timbo
Nick Campbell
on 06 Oct 10I think many people who are struggling with the stating idea is that when you dream big like Gary is doing, you have to be specific to some extent. Details rule the idea here, because then the first question you ask is well how would I? This ties in partially to what Derek Sivers talks about as well when he mentions that stating a goal can have negative consequences of providing you the appraisal you seek. Ideally though, if you really want to achieve the goal a minor appraisal of “oh that’s good” won’t be sufficient. Passion goes a little further than that.
This also compounds on the idea that is present on TED as well about how ideas are created through communication with others. By talking with other people about how to acquire a football team Gary can figure out what all his little steps are.
As for some of my BHAGs. -be involved in the production of a B-movie. -design a public building that is built. -publish a novel. ...etc. All of which is being undertaken in some form.
Mark
on 06 Oct 10Make everything in the world able to host a conversation.
Kristin White
on 06 Oct 101. Be the kind of parent my daughter wants to spend time with when she doesn’t have to. 2. Be the kind of priest who helps people grow in their lives of faith. 3. Run next year’s Chicago Marathon in less than 4 hours. And then turn 40.
Norbert
on 06 Oct 10I evolve my 37signals-style business offering personal productivity tools for high performing individuals to become extremely profitable with the least possible resources upfront (money/people).
I perfect my craft in music production so that I belong amongst the top 10 r&b & trance music producers in the world.
Dan
on 06 Oct 10Let me just state the obvious.
Your whole argument for stating your goals out loud is based on the premise that that guy will end up owning the jets.
Damian Thompson
on 06 Oct 10I am going to own a Gulfstream jet that transports me around the world teaching businesses how to be more profitable and communities how to better educate children.
Dan
on 06 Oct 10Ok. I buy it.
My goal is to have 150 informed folk click my name (above) and become regulars at my blog about semantics, philosophy and odd topics in computer science.
Rob
on 07 Oct 10@Dan To quote Rich S near the top there: I think David’s trying to say that if you make a large public statement and (here’s the key) stick to it, people will take you seriously and start to think about how they can help you achieve that goal.
And I’ve been able to start businesses locally already doing that. Put it out there, folks come forward.
So with that in mind my audacious (lifetime) goal is to help dismantle the current record industry and rebuild a new music industry in which the artists benefit the most financially from their creative output and retain (or regain) their copyrights.
Dimitar Yanev
on 07 Oct 10My one and only goal is to have every company in the world using my hosted web platform for their web sites.* :)
*No sarcasm was used writing this sentence
Dylan
on 07 Oct 10David, I enjoyed watching you race your Posche. I thought that was cool, and inspiring. i.e. you’re walking the talk…having a life outside of your business. Good for you.
Ryan F
on 07 Oct 10My goal is to get my freelancing and startup off the ground so that I can leave my job. I want to be able to enjoy my life and be able to work from where ever. By work I mean be happy with what I do each day knowing that it is what I want.
Eduardo Fernández
on 07 Oct 10Grow my company, Improffice, to $1M in revenue within 12 months.
Mike A
on 07 Oct 10My goal is to establish a career in digital media so that I can accumulate the necessary resources and influence that will win Lucasfilm’s blessing to reboot the “Star Wars” prequels.
John Fan
on 07 Oct 10http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html
Chad
on 07 Oct 10Im going to play tennis with Gary v, then Andre Agassi. Then I’m going to open My own club and online pro shop. I’m going to get started by bringing something very special to the Internet. That’s all for now :)
Mike Baehr
on 07 Oct 10I wanna be the first out gay guy to surf Mavericks.
Installero
on 07 Oct 10I’m just going to take over the world.
Vincent Cocula
on 07 Oct 10David, Your argument here comes way to close to the Lottery argument: because someone can do it, anyone can. That’s wrong and you know it. Your stance often is about measured and well calibrated effort. And that’s good. Here you invoke the “black swan” effect. The line between “being crazy enough to take that risk” and “being actually insane” can be sometimes blurry. But it’s an important one. And then again we’re here to make meaning. What’s meaningful about owning the NY Jets? The ReWork book is inspirational. For different reasons. - Vince.
Harri
on 07 Oct 10Vincent – I think turning the NY Jets into a winning team is meaningful for millions of New Yorkers.
Benjamin Lupton
on 07 Oct 10For those mentioning the TED talk about keeping your goals to yourself – you’re missing the point.
The talk is about not basking in the satisfaction that you are going to accomplish the goal, not actually telling people about it. His example was someone saying that their going to lose weight – the telling isn’t the problem, the basking in the enthusiasm by their friends is – as that is what our unconscious gets confused with.
Telling people about your goals is great – as long as they hold you to it, and reward you only when you actually accomplish the goal. That is what life coaching is about.
Karri
on 07 Oct 10@Vincent Cocula and everybody else
I don’t buy the “lottery argument” at all. Having big goals isn’t lottery. Other people don’t bet on the same goals as I do.
But the basics are this: you know why it’s relatively hard to get an MBA? To found another social networking site? Because the goal is mediocre. Tens, hundreds, thousands of people are aiming for the same thing.
There’s not that many guys looking forward to buy the Jets.
And for the meaning, who are we to judge or assess what’s the meaning of owning a football team? It’s none of our business, and, to be honest, I don’t know how that could interest anybody. More essential is to focus on your own dreams + making them happen.
There’s an distinct fact that people rarely see, when they think of achieving ridiculously big goals. There are far less people doing big things. The majority of people are aiming for the same things. There’s far more competition in the top.
And for telling other people about your big goals, is because everyone then knows, where this is guy is heading. He is going to buy THE JETS. He is in whole another level. Speaking about it also a constant reminder of that goal for himself.
That’s my take on this.
Jake Jacobsen
on 07 Oct 10Derek Sivers makes a good point with the research that shows that when people tell others their goals it tricks their mind into feeling like they’ve accomplished them, or at least part of them.
However, I would like to see some studies where the people they told their goals to actually held them accountable. For example, my wife made a goal to learn to play the piano better and as part of that she would practice for 30 minutes a day. Her mom made the same goal and each week they call each other to make sure they were on track for keeping their goals. She doesn’t think she would be able to keep that goal at all if she had kept it to herself.
I have had goals that I never told anyone about and eventually gave up on. I have also made goals that I have told people about and I do feel accountable for them and have taken steps to achieve them. I think the key is to tell people who will keep bugging you about what you are doing to reach your goal and keep egging you on.
My goal is to create games and software to revolutionize education. So please bother me about it and hold me accountable.
Artur
on 07 Oct 10Reading this I was thinking if you really are trying to get to 100M and to the podium. You can think of it, but are you committing to it publicly? Saying “then I can surely work towards” does not seem like a big commitment.
Now a big public commitment of your part would be interesting.
David O.
on 07 Oct 10Derek Sivers makes a good point with the research that shows that when people tell others their goals it tricks their mind into feeling like they’ve accomplished them, or at least part of them.
David O.
on 07 Oct 10I was thinking about that, what Jake Jacobsen said. However I believe if you state a goal publicly and commit to it, that action holds you accountable, especially if you want to be taken seriously. I have stated publicly that I want to play in the NFL, however I’m in my 30’s so I’m running out of time pretty fast. I would also like to work for 37signals some day and perhaps help them reach that 100 million mark.
CK1
on 07 Oct 10Play pro hockey. I’m 37 now. Haven’t laced ‘em up seriously in about ten years.
Erin Bury
on 07 Oct 10I thought the exact same thing about Gary when I first heard him say that – oh sure you will. Now I 100% believe he will, and he works hard enough to make it happen!
My big goal is to start my own company. While working at a startup I’ve been constantly inspired by our founder Sarah Prevette (and even mistaken for her sister), and she’s always encouraged me to build my own startup.
One day I will – and you guys can hold me to it!
John Tangney
on 07 Oct 10Why am I not rich? Surely I’ve said I WANT to be.
In fact, I DON’T want to be rich. To be rich, I have to put making money above all else. Above morality, even. That’s not me, so I have held back.
The flip side of this is that if you REALLY want something, you have to be willing to do what it takes – whatever it takes – to get it.
So when you announce to the world that you are going to do X, be sure that every decision you make, every second of every day, is taking you closer to X.
Is that something you can live with?
Yu Yu Din
on 07 Oct 10I want to be able to fly my own plane so I can see my parents every weekend and have Burmese food. (Ya, I’m a foodie. And it’s only a couple of hours from India.)
I also wish I could vote on these comments!
And I think I’ll be able to get a book out before I turn 31. :-)
Ryan Waldron
on 07 Oct 10I want to be one of the engineers who designs the first large sediment diversions from the lower Mississippi River. I want to be the man who saves Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands. I want to make New Orleans and the rest of Southern LA an even more amazing place to love than it already is.
Denny Ferrassoli
on 07 Oct 10Make DealDemand the #1 online property for helping people find deals on things and services they want and save a shit ton of money.
Chris Courtemanche
on 07 Oct 10Noel Gallagher from Oasis had a quote in the same vein “We started telling people we were the best band in the world; we knew it wasn’t true but eventually enough people started believing us that it became true.”
Andrew Kolpakov
on 07 Oct 10I have accomplished several nice projects. And I have miserably failed others.
I would say that accomplished projects weren’t treated as goals or projects at all. I did not tell anyone. I even did not think about them as about goals. I enjoyed working on them, and eventually I have completed them.
My failed projects were great as an ideas. I still believe they are great. I was very motivated. I told everyone that I am going to accomplish them. I planned in advance. I thought everything out.
And they are still only great ideas. In the beginning they were inspiring me very much. But soon they had transformed into obligations. I had to push myself to work on these ideas.
So, by the moment, I’ve chosen to keep my goals confidential and not to think of them as of goals. I am not obligated to work on them. They are just dreams.
It is easier to work on your goals that way. Working on them is joy, not obligation. For example, I’ve finished at the TriStar111 Triathlon in Estonia this year. It required not only physical preparation but also solving a lot of problems just in order to travel to Estonia (I am from Russia).
If I had a to-do list 3 months before the race, I would be very depressed and would not complete even the first item of the list. But I’ve done all the items of this never-existed list without any strain.
I know I will finish the Ironman Triathlon one day. But I do not have a plan. I do not need it. It will not help me to get up in the morning.
But what I do need is an inspiration for training everyday or twice a day. This inspiration does not come from a big goal. And it does not come from an obligation or making it public.
It really comes from loving this sport, from dreaming about Ironman Hawaii, from reading great books about training, from talking to other triathletes, from participating in competitions, from dreaming about swimming in the ocean, bike riding in the Alps and running in the sunrise along a seashore.
So, finally, what do you need to accomplish a big goal? Inspiration!
Then do all the things that really inspire you. Push yourself to do something if it will inspire you. And push yourself not do anything that decreases your motivation.
miah
on 07 Oct 10Motorcycle / paragliding / climbing / volunteering trip from Alaska to Argentina… Leaving March 15, 2011
I needed this post today. The gap between my goal and where I am today seemed immense. Thank you for the reminder that my efforts today are bringing me closer.
Gregor McKelvie
on 07 Oct 10Living between the French alps, Scotland (home) and anywhere else I chose, whilst making the difference in everything I work on and everyone I work with.
Tabita
on 08 Oct 10Enable as many people as possible to lift themselves out of poverty!
EricTimmer
on 08 Oct 10I am a big believer in this! Make a goal and work towards it. I have made many in my life and pretty much achieved them all, or when I couldn’t get there I found something else that was just as “cool” along the way.
My current goal is for my company to reach the 1000 customer mark.
Anonymous Coward
on 08 Oct 10Business loans and capital consistently one of the biggest obstacles to your innovation and growth in sales and profits. What can be done through either a traditional or alternative ways to finance your business has what it takes to generate growth? Consider some of these solutions.
Ben Carlson
on 08 Oct 10Huge ridiculous goal? I would like to work for myself, building acoustic and archtop guitars. My short-term step in the right direction is getting www.pointerra.com off the ground.
-Ben
Anthony Barone
on 09 Oct 10Build a billion dollar company using open source products in the two industries I’m passionate about… health care and renewable energy. Once achieved, distribute my wealth by creating a system to reward open source contributors that help solve global health care and energy issues.
Corey Ward
on 09 Oct 10While I think that the premise of this post is spot on, a bit of skepticism in regards to sharing your goals is essential. You need to build a community behind what you’re doing to hold you responsible, so in that respect, sharing is great. The pitfall is when you share a goal with someone that you’re friends with and they respond with nice, warm-hearted praise. You get that dopamine boost and you feel great about your newfound direction and clarity, only you feel too much like you accomplished something and quit doing it.
So again, be a bit cautious with whom you share what, and what you’re looking for in sharing with them. If it’s praise and a warm-fuzzy feeling, you might want to put a pin in the calendar for a week out and share with them then if you’re still on track.
PS: This isn’t my realization alone. I read it in a book, but I can’t remember the book and I don’t want to misattribute it. I think it was Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky though.
Suzanne Vara
on 09 Oct 10We believe Gary because we feel him. We know that he is very successful and that financially he will have the funds necessary. He never strays from it, he builds upon it.
He is always out there. You can achieve your goals but you have to work at it constantly and stick to the main goal. Little ones are the catalyst for the bigger ones. If you tell enough people, believe them yourself and constantly put yourself out there, you will achieve your goals.
Great post that I found from Jason Sokol’s blog.
@SuzanneVara
Blake
on 10 Oct 10Beat 37signals.
Hardy Macia
on 10 Oct 10To have PocketMoney replace Microsoft Money as one of the major financial apps on the desktop (and iPhone/Android…)
Kieron Heath
on 11 Oct 10I want to be a best-selling author, famous for a few popular series of novels all of which are waiting to be written. I’m hoping the second draft of my debut novel will finished just before end of year. Taking this very seriously I’m happy to put it out there.
Jud Mackrill
on 12 Oct 10I love it when people and companies have the guts to state their goals. Our society is failing to understand the importance of goals, so thanks to you and @garyvee for having some and inspiring others to set their own.
Kieron Heath
on 12 Oct 10Just to continue the don’t take your friend’s praise as the completion of your goal theme further. I would agree that whilst other will try to give you praise and encouragement, it’s important to realise you still have a lot of work to do.
I was watching the BBC yesterday and there was a documentary on about synthetic life. Near the end, the scientist showed the successful formation of the basic building blocks used to make a synthetic cell; alive and functioning as any other cell would be able to.
What was interesting was his reaction to a question the presenter posed. He asked, youve made this and you’re on your way to making the first ever synthetic cell, how does that make you feel?
The scientist returned ‘woah, we haven’t made it yet, but when it happens it’ll make me very happy.’
They hope to create an entire living synthetic cell from scratch by the end of the year. I believe they will succeed.
This discussion is closed.