A few years ago I decided to get the goals out of my life.

Why? They didn’t work for me. Just that.

And I suspect how most people don’t work for them either.

I can’t tell you how often I had a call for discovery with an entrepreneur who tells me that she has overwhelmed and desperately have more time in her life so that you can spend it with your family. But in the next breath, they outline their big plans and ambitions, which do not match any of their personal wishes.

Is there a world in which you have your cake and you can also eat? Most likely yes. But only if you realize that what you really want is something sweet. And the way to scratch that itching may not be cake.

That was certainly my experience.

For most of my life I was a goal – sometimes my goals were specific or “clever”. In other cases, they were simply a deep motivation to achieve something great in what I did at the time.

But over time I noticed a pattern: I spent more time to pursue not realized goals when I enjoyed the fleeting satisfaction. In other words, it felt as if I had spent 99% of my time, hunting and 1% of my time successful.

And that didn’t work for me.

So I stopped setting goals.

Here is what I do instead now:

1. Select a direction instead of a finish line

Plans rarely develop exactly as we imagine. Instead of strictly fixing to an end point, I concentrate on the direction in which I move. My measure of success is not “I’m already there?” Instead, it’s just “I go in the right direction?” This little way of thinking has made the difference and enables me to live in the present in the future and to feel pleasure and fulfillment in this process.

2. shorten the goal post

If specific goals are useful (and sometimes you can be), I break them up into smaller, manageable pieces. And often it starts with a smaller first step. Most of the friction with great goals is not to know how to start. The lowering of the entry barrier and the creation of a chain of smaller victories reduces the friction, builds dynamics and gives me more ways to feel a feeling of performance on the way.

3. Experiment

Shortening the target position also creates more opportunities to measure and validate that I still move in the right direction. Progress is not always linear and the acceptance of this truth can free itself. I learned to try new things and change my opinion if necessary. To make decisions that are based on reality-and emotion-war a game channel. And if I have to correct, I do it gently without beating myself up. Growth requires experiment and error.

4. Do only what is necessary right now

The world is full of “should” and “Musts”, of which the loudest of the voice comes in our head. It is a trap. It is distraction, overwhelmed and slows down. I have learned to ignore everything and at any moment to concentrate only on what is really helpful and necessary. “All I have to do is the only thing I am doing,” has become a mantra. This practice was crucial to eliminate unnecessary stress and agree with my values ​​and priorities.

For me, what it means means growing and being human.

This displacement of the way of thinking is not only personal – it also leads my customers. In their core, these four points represent orientation, measurement, experiments and prioritization. I have seen again and again that this approach proves to be the most successful and sustainable way for long -term growth.

Because if you focus more on the journey than on the goal, you will find the freedom to adapt, learn and thrive in a way that simply does not allow the strict goal.

And leading my customers to a more effective and sustainable way of scaling their business is my favorite part for what I do.

So what about you? What is your relationship with the goals and how do you plan to contact you this year?

Whatever your answer is, remember: it’s not about having your cake and eating it. It is about finding out what she really satisfies and follows this path – one step after the other.