A stretch goal is a target we set to push ourselves further than we’ve ever gone before. It’s a great tool for helping us achieve those wants and desires we once believed to be unattainable.

In business, a stretch goal can help us motivate our team to go outside their comfort zone to create new methods or come up with innovative ideas not yet explored.

 

Setting a stretch goal

When setting a stretch goal, you’re essentially using your dreams to create your target of success without really knowing how you can hit that target. Setting the goal inspires you to zero in on the big picture, to think big, not get bogged down in minute details.

 

Achieving that goal

Here’s what I learned from my own personal stretch goal of committing to audio books, which can be applied in any aspect of life, personal or business:

 

  • Know your preferences. I prefer audio books read by the author. I particularly admire the author BJ Brian Jeffrey Fogg, an adjunct professor at Stanford University who founded the Stanford Behavior Design Lab. (BTW, Fogg had his own stretch goal – He had to rehearse to prove himself able to read his own book, Tiny Habits!)
     
    Takeaway – Focus on determining the best circumstances and criteria for your success – and fully embrace them.

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  • Ask those with experience for their tips and insights. Speaking with some of my colleagues who were enjoying audio books was a great help to me.
     
    Takeaway – Ask friends, reach out to your network for advice, hire a coach or get an accountability buddy. Learning from their experience gives you a huge head start on any new endeavour and will accelerate your progress.

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  • Sample before committing. Audio books allow me to sample before committing. I listen to the narrator’s voice and style. I look at reviews.
     
    Takeaway – Are you able to sample a first step toward your goal to be sure you’re comfortable? This might be an open house with a coach, a masterclass, or complimentary discovery call.

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  • Schedule your goal into your life. Think about how you can integrate your stretch goal into your life with ease. What time of day works best? What are the best circumstances to set you up for success? Add the new commitment or activities into your calendar!

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  • Stick with it until you’re satisfied. I found that listening to an audio book was awkward at first. Now I’ll listen to audio books several times! I can adjust the speed for faster listening the second or third time. I love how the most impactful moments in the book float to the surface so I can take them in with each “reading”.
     
    Takeaway – Many people abandon their goal at the first hiccup. Commit to your goal long enough to embrace the new habits required. Some say it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. I recommend at least 90 days. Yes, there will be initial discomfort – but this where we stretch and grow.

 
It’s time to stretch!

If you’re desiring simplicity and clarity in growing your business, book my free sample, a . It might just be the solution to free you from frustration, indecision, inconsistency or fear that is delaying your launch forward in the right direction. What do you have to lose? And what business “want” or “desire” can be unleashed? Let’s find out.