goldilocks goals juuuuust right 4 u ... [🐝U]

We all know the story …

Goldilocks wanders into a house where 3 bears live.

& she’s sampling everything as if it’s a Sunday stroll through Costco …

With the porridge, chairs, & beds, she goes from 1 extreme to the other …

too hot … too cold
too hard … too soft

& then that 3rd try … somewhere in between, it’s juuuuust right

It’s an analogy used for things like:
→ astronomy to describe the Earth (it’s just the right distance from the sun to be habitable)
→ travel to describe countries (there’s reliable transit, safe accommodation, & convenient access)
→ pain paradox to describe a “comfortable suffering”

But what if we applied it to our goals?

From a psychological perspective, it seems (to me) it’s where we solopreneurs & small businesses need it most

What makes goal-setting hard for solopreneurs?

→ no benchmarks
You’ve never done THIS thing before & it seems all social media shows us is the current success & never the struggle to get there … so what’s reasonable for us?

→ no boss
Sounds great, until you realize no one else is setting expectations & holding you accountable.

→ no buffer
“There’s no failure, only feedback” sounds great in principle. But if your goal’s too ambitious & miss it, it shakes your confidence & impacts your income

→ no escape from the crabs
Those crabby critics are always active & questioning … especially when you’re “behind” on your goal.

You know you need goals … something to aim for

& there are soooooo many goal-setting frameworks, like:

SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
Lean’s 5 Cs (Clear Out, Configure, Clean & Check, Conformity, Custom)
WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)
Golden Circles (Why, How, What)

I’m sure you’ve heard (& tried) a LOT of them in your professional & personal life.

Set a target
Make a plan
Get started.
Then review.

Why 1 goal isn’t enough … especially for Solopreneurs

That’s the problem with a goal
it’s hit or miss
all or nothing
win or fail

→ fear of failure - can be paralyzing (especially when you’re surrounded by “I told you so’s” … so you procrastinate

→ “success” is fragile - you’re always 1 “off” week away from falling behind & “life happens” … then what?

→ your self-worth gets tied to performance - that’s just waiting for a bomb to explode when your business IS you & only you.

That’s where Goldilocks & the 3 goals come in …

On one hand, you have a Minimum Goal …
It needs you to do a bit more than what you’re doing now.
Your minimum is “doable”

At the other end is your Stretch Goal …
It’s something that feels improbable but not impossible.
It’s your “best-case” scenario when everything works the way you expect it to.

Just like the fairy tale, you’ll have a goal that’s not “too easy” & not “too hard”

Somewhere in the middle is your Goldilocks Goal…
Not too easy, not too hard.
But it’s not THE middle.

It’s about finding balance … it feels just right for where you are now (ability, energy, time)

My work & learning goals during “winter hibernation” in Canada are very different than summer (where personal adventure-filled goals have priority)

Having all 3 goals gives you:

→ psychological safety
Having a range means you’re less likely to feel like a failure. Even hitting your minimum is still progress, not a loss. & that builds confidence over time

→ built-in flexibility
Life happens. & whether you’re sick, swamped, or struggling. It’s easier to stay motivated without burning out

→ progress over perfection
Stretch goals keep you inspired & minimum goals keep you grounded. You’re not constantly pressuring yourself to always “win” & then beat yourself up with you don’t.

→ more wins to celebrate (& fewer failures)
It’s not a “hit or miss” … you’re building a range with more opportunities to say “I did it!”
You can acknowledge the effort, recognize your progress, & stay encouraged … even if you aren’t hitting your Stretch Goal … yet!

Here's the thing ... It's never going to be perfect.

It shouldn't be.

How else do we get to continue learning & growing?

So exercise your goal-setting muscles.
& try making all of them.

Now you try it…

Think of 1 part of your life you’ve been quietly avoiding…
diet?
family time?
that book sitting on your shelf collecting dust?

Pick 1 & start there.

What's the absolute minimum step you’ll take this week?
Then think about a "stretch" goal that feels improbable but not impossible.
& to round things out, what's the "Goldilocks" goal?

As you work through consistently, you also have a more reliable feedback loop…

If you consistently hit your stretch goal, you’re underestimating your ability
Raise the bar!

Always hit the minimum but never your stretch?
You may be overreaching & need to adjust your approach

Chances are, you'll blow past the minimums because you're focused on the stretch ones.
The faster you get past the minimums, the higher you raise it

& before you know it, those improbable stretch numbers are your minimums.

Make it a great “juuuusssst right“ week!
EG

PS:
Trying something different this week … here are a few ads for products I’ve been tinkering with. They’re part of my Goldilocks learning goals, because incorporating video into my business (& for clients) is something I’m not doing enough of.

I think my authentic, transparent, & a little bit disruptive approach is going to be that much more important given the AI-generated bands on Spotify & AI-influencers on social media

I think leveraging being human & letting tech be a tool that supports you instead of replacing you is more sustainable strategy than this trendy tactic

Side note: I had no idea how accessible running “commercials” has become for smaller businesses.

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PPS:
📣 Tell me what you want to read about … here
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn … here

📈 Want to talk about setting up your Goldilocks goals?
Find a time that fits your schedule.