Oops, I shared my goals

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Zig Ziglar says, "Who do you share your goals with? Share "give up" goals (like giving up sweets to lose weight) with everybody. Share "Go up" goals (like business, career and money) only with family, friends, and people you can rely on who aren't in competition with you."

Now, I usually never share my business goals with anyone, mostly because they are so big it seems crazy.

I made the mistake of sharing my "go up" goals about my company with someone I thought was an another aggressive entrepreneur. I thought they had similar goals and could appreciate my vision.

Now admittedly, they are extremely high goals, but I know can get there over time.

He scoffed.

Oops. Broke my rule.

So do you agree with Zig? Do you only share "go up" goals with family and close friends. Or are your goals seemingly ludicrous to "normal" people, so you keep them to yourself?
#offline marketing #goals #oops #shared
  • I share that I want to take a business public.. So I guess.. NOPE, I don't follow the Zig on that one!


  • Hi joe golfer,
    I guess it depends how well you can take it on the chin.

    Some people may be interested to listen, while others will just look you down and scoff, as you say.

    Basically I will discuss these things if the topic comes up, but I don't let others get under my skin because they possibly feel superior or whatever.

    In Australia we have a term called "The Quiet Achiever". I guess I am mostly happy to just cruise along with that.

    A negative response does urge me on though. :>)

    cheers, Mal.
  • I never share.

    Of course you have to share your next step, I don't know a way around that. But I never share my goals.
    • [1] reply
    • Sort of like that.

      I never shared my goals. I was never tempted. I may have shared a process now and then, "Right now, I'm in the process of...." But not goals.

      The other side is sharing your accomplishments. My wife knows, because she's with me, and sees the money.....and knows about the sales. But who else would I tell?

      Relatives? They want you to do well, but better than them? not really.. And I was getting tired of being asked for money.

      Friends? My goals always sounded like bragging. So I just stopped sharing them. Explaining what I've done, also sounds like bragging. In fact, I sound like I'm bragging when I order a meal at Wendy's.

      I never shared my business goals with my business friends, even ones in the same business. If they asked, I'd share what I've already done.

      The real reason I don't share my goals?
      The person I'm talking to, isn't going to affect the results, or influence my behavior. Even close friends. I don't need their encouragement. And I don't seek their approval. And I don't compare myself to them.

      It just isn't the way I think.

      I do like hearing about other people's successes though.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • I think good old Zig suggested "sharing your goals" so you can reinforce them within yourself.

    If you are able to do this on your own - then for all the reasons mentioned - there's no great need to share them.


    Steve
    • [1] reply

    • I always thought the idea was, that if you shared your goals with others, you'd feel more obligated to stick with the work needed to reach them.

      Probably the same thing.

      And, many of us have people that are rooting for us to be successful, and will be behind us...encouraging us on.
  • People are enamored with the future, valuing tomorrows prospects more than today's accomplishments. The media is the worst at this. The company that makes no profit and sometimes no revenue are held as the standard.

    Henry Ford said you can't build a reputation off what you are going to do. I like that thought but unfortunately you can, as least until the cheap money stops flowing.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • You may well be right.

    Maybe this is just me - I wouldn't want to "have" to be encouraged.

    Be a bit like being forced to report back with "progress" reports to different "managers" (explaining all the ups and downs - I could bore people senseless).

    I can see the benefits - if people do need encouragement from others because it will help drive them.

    But personally I wouldn't want to impose my master plans on anyone.

    Because, I would have that nagging thought - why the f*** should they care?

    Even my close friends and beloved ones might be tempted to say -

    "Yea, yea Steve, tell you what, stop rattling on - just go and do it - now lets have a beer."


    Steve
    • [1] reply

    • Sometimes, in seminars, I'll get asked about setting sales goals, and I'll answer something like;
      I never had sales goals, I had a sales schedule. For years, that schedule was $1,000 a week. I'd start on Saturday, And work, until my commissions were over $1,000 and then I'd quit, until the next Saturday. If I missed one week, I made it up the next. For 8 years, I never missed two weeks in a row, and I always made it up.

      I kept getting better at selling, and better at getting referrals. After several years, I usually just worked on Saturday. Maybe Monday...But most of the time, I didn't need to work.

      It finally dawned on me that I wasn't the top guy in my company. So I upped it to $2,000 a week....then $3,000 a week. Yes, selling vacuum cleaners. I hired someone to help with the prospecting, and someone to ride with me...essentially, to make sure I worked when I didn't feel like it.....

      And after I opened an office and had reps, I didn't need that schedule any more, because the reps forced me to be effective, and work every day.

      Was I the best in the company? No. There was one woman that would make 50 or 60 real sales a month, every month. I met her at a conference. The month before I had 26 presentations and 25 sales. She had 60 sales. I asked her, "How in the world did you get 60 sales? I need to know"
      She said, "I made 120 presentations". I laughed out loud. It was so obvious. Was I a better salesman than her? Maybe. But she won more awards, and made more money.

      This was 1987 or 1988.
  • Shhhiitt... I read you goal :p
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    Oops, I shared my goals

    Zig Ziglar says, "Who do you share your goals with? Share "give up" goals (like giving up sweets to lose weight) with everybody. Share "Go up" goals (like business, career and money) only with family, friends, and people you can rely on who aren't in competition with you." Now, I usually never share my business goals with anyone, mostly because they are so big it seems crazy.