In Goals! How to Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, motivational speaker Brian Tracy shares the mindset and the steps that will help you reach your goals in the shortest amount of time. As we’ll explore, he believes that goal-setting requires changing your mindset, being clear about what you want, using visualization, and keeping track of your progress.
Tracy was a high school dropout who did odd jobs to make ends meet. While working in sales, he made it his goal to earn $1,000 a month. He wrote down his goal, got to work, and hit his target, but it wasn’t smooth sailing from there—his fortunes still waxed and waned over the years. When he was once again down on his luck, he decided to consolidate everything he had learned about goal-setting into a proper system.
Tracy’s life changed dramatically within a year. Seeing the true power of goal-setting, he researched the subject extensively, refined his practices, and shared his system with others. He later released videos and audio recordings of his seminars, enabling him to reach hundreds of thousands of people.
Is Success Really Just About Setting Goals?
Tracy, whose net worth is reportedly $15 million, credits all of his success to his goal-setting system. However, he doesn’t consider the fact that he had one factor working in his favor: his race. As a white man, he had more opportunities and better odds of becoming a millionaire compared to Hispanic and Black people.
Research reveals that:
12.5% of whites in the U.S. are millionaires versus just 1.4% of Hispanic people and 1.3% of Black people.
A white person with a graduate degree has a 37% chance of becoming a millionaire, but a Black person with the same degree has just a 6.7% chance.
Black people have more limited job opportunities—a study found that resumés with white-sounding names attached got 50% more callbacks for interviews than those with African-American-sounding names attached.
This is not to say that Hispanic and Black people can’t become successful; they just have more challenges to overcome than Tracy acknowledges.
Before you start setting goals, get into the right mindset. Tracy claims that many people approach goal-setting with the wrong mentality: They might have only vague wishes like “to be happy” or “to get rich” instead of having specific goals. (Shortform note: The open-endedness of vague goals can hold you back significantly—most people, when faced with an overwhelming number of ways to move forward, experience decision paralysis and don’t move forward at all.)
Or, Tracy, notes, they might not set goals at all because they’re afraid of failing and, consequently, being criticized or ridiculed. (Shortform note: Being afraid of failure is normal, but feeling more strongly about avoiding failure than becoming successful can hinder your growth. You can manage this fear by confronting your feelings and discussing them with people you trust, and by thinking about past successes to build your confidence.)
Tracy suggests four mindset-shifting methods for those who are unclear about what they want or who let negative thoughts keep them from setting goals:
The first mindset-shifting method is to learn that any change you want to make in your life is entirely up to you. To get what you want, Tracy says that you first have to free yourself from negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, particularly:
Tracy says you can overcome this negativity by taking responsibility for your own life. Understand that you only have control over yourself, not the past or other people’s opinions.
Replace Negativity With a Positive Mindset
Tracy says that you can get over negative mindsets by taking responsibility, but he doesn’t go into detail about the positive mindsets that should take their place. Here’s how you can overcome the negative emotions and behaviors mentioned above:
A sense of entitlement: Get over this mindset by bridging the gap between reality and your perception of what you deserve. Open your mind and consider your situation from the perspective of others.
A victim mentality: Instead of replaying past experiences of victimhood in your mind, adopt a growth mindset that reflects on how those experiences can make you a better person.
Hypersensitivity: Studies show that we tend to overestimate how much other people think about our failures. To stop worrying about other people’s opinion of you, practice attentional control: Direct your attention toward the things you want to focus on and away from other people’s judgments and criticisms.
The second mindset-shifting method to practice before you start setting goals is to clarify what’s important to you. Tracy says that this is an important step because goals that aren’t aligned with your values will inevitably lead to unhappiness. (Shortform note: Tracy isn’t explicit about why values are important in the goal-setting process. Author Tony Robbins explains that your values are like a compass—they show you a clear path forward and guide every decision you make as you work toward your goals. If you’re unclear about your values, you won’t be able to make decisions that move you in the right direction, resulting in frustration and a lack of fulfillment.)
According to Tracy, one way to clarify your values is by reviewing your past. Reflect on the experiences that have increased your self-esteem and the choices you made in stressful situations because these tell you what’s important to you. Keep in mind that your past choices may not reflect who you are now, so consider if you would make different choices today.
Another Way to Clarify What’s Important to You
To clarify your values, you could mine your past experiences as Tracy recommends. However, this may feel a little overwhelming: You’ve probably had dozens, if not hundreds, of experiences that increased your self-esteem or involved overcoming stress. It may be difficult to filter through all of these experiences to find what really matters to you.
If you’re struggling with Tracy’s method for identifying your values, you could use this more structured four-step exercise:
Answer “Who am I?”Get 10 sheets of paper, then write “Who am I?” at the top of each page. On each page, write one descriptive answer, but keep it succinct. For example, you might write “creative,” “highly ambitious,” or “writer.”
Ask “Why?” Do a root cause analysis on each page by asking “why” you have these traits five times (or until you run out of answers). For example, answers to your “whys” for “highly ambitious” might be, “Because I want my company to grow,” and, “Because I want to make a difference.” These answers reveal that leaving a legacy is important to you.
Find common themes. Look at all 10 sheets, then group together the pages that have some similarities; each group represents a core value. Arrange these core values in order of their importance to you.
Live your values. Determine how you can live by your values by thinking about the behaviors you need to do more of and less of.
The third mindset-shifting method is to reject any belief that hinders you from achieving your goals. Tracy writes that you might hesitate to set big goals because you believe that you don’t have the skills to achieve them. However, he argues that this very belief will keep you from succeeding because whatever you strongly believe in comes true.
(Shortform note: Strongly believing in something until it comes true is an ancient concept, but it’s still relevant today: Social media is rife with tips for “manifesting” and “scripting, ” methods meant to “attract” things to your life. However, psychologists warn against overestimating the power of this method as it can have detrimental effects such as increasing your anxiety or making you more complacent.)
Furthermore, Tracy says that your beliefs about yourself often aren’t based on fact; instead, they were shaped by your childhood, the people around you, your education, and your experiences. For example, your belief that you aren’t smart may have started in school, where only verbal and mathematical intelligence were measured. You can be excellent in other areas (entrepreneurial, interpersonal, and so on) without knowing it because you simply never tapped into them at school. (Shortform note: Like Tracy, author Maxwell Maltz writes that your thoughts about yourself are shaped by your past and are thus subjective and possibly untrue. Accepting this self-image as truth may reinforce negative patterns of behavior that keep you from setting or achieving goals.)
Tracy gives three tips to help you unlearn beliefs about your abilities:
1) Question your beliefs: Assess the areas where you believe your abilities are limited and ask those close to you to point out blind spots. Then, reflect on your findings to determine if they’re true. (Shortform note: Another way to challenge your self-limiting beliefs is to write down evidence to the contrary. This might reveal that you’re more capable than you think.)
2) Choose only beliefs that will help you. Start by believing that you’ll be successful—if you believe that success is inevitable, then you won’t let anything stand in your way. Tracy advises that once you’ve chosen your positive beliefs, you make sure that what you say and do are consistent with them. (Shortform note: If you find it hard to replace your negative beliefs with beliefs that help you, another method you can try is putting a positive spin on those negative beliefs. For example, instead of saying, “I always fall for the wrong person,” you can say, “My experience has taught me what qualities to look for in a partner.”)
3) Act “as if.” Think of the person you want to become, then act as if you’re already that person with the skills that you want to have. Tracy recommends looking for role models and dressing like them, adopting their work ethic, and asking them for advice. (Shortform note: Tracy writes that dressing for success can help you believe in yourself more, but some experts argue that this tactic can, counterproductively, lead you to think more about your shortcomings. Instead of using superficial ways to feel more successful, try a healthier way of acting “as if”: Identify self-limiting behavior and then act as if you’ve already overcome it.)
The fourth and final mindset-shifting method is to visualize what you want by creating vivid mental pictures of your ideal life. Tracy says that visualization is important because it helps you reach your goals faster by unlocking the power of the three parts of your mind:
Comparing Tracy’s Concepts to Freudian Theory
Tracy draws parallels between his idea of the subconscious, conscious, and superconscious mind and Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic concepts of id, ego, and superego. However, their concepts aren’t directly comparable. While Tracy’s description of the conscious mind aligns with Freud’s concept of the ego—both are related to how you analyze information to make decisions—the two other concepts are markedly different:
The subconscious mind and the id—Tracy says that the subconscious and the id are the same in that they’re the part of the mind that stores memories. However, the id, according to Freud, is the part of you that responds to basic needs and urges.
The superconscious mind and the superego—Tracy equates the superconscious with the superego, saying that they’re a universal power you can harness to achieve your goals. However, Freud does not relate the superego to a mystical power. To him, the superego consists of both your conscience and ideal self; it’s the part of you that controls your urges and pushes you to become your best self.
According to Tracy, these three parts of your mind work together to help activate the “Law of Attraction,” an energy that turns you into a magnet for the people and things that will help you reach your goal.
(Shortform note: The Law of Attraction that Tracy mentions is a pseudoscience that is the backbone of a lot of positive thinking advice and is the premise of Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. Byrne explains that people operate as human transmission towers, sending a signal out to the universe, and the universe then responds in kind. She says that this means that whatever you focus on will manifest in your life. She adds that you can trace your current situation back to your previous thoughts—signals that you sent out to the universe in the past.)
Tracy gives four tips for visualizing your future and thereby activating your mind’s power:
Imagine what your perfect life would look like if there were nothing holding you back, Tracy suggests. Go through every detail of your finances, career, relationships, and health. Then, look at your present situation. Ask yourself how you can get from your starting point to your goal—doing this encourages you to think creatively and find ways to realize your vision. (Shortform note: Asking “how” helps you formulate short-term goals to build into the journey toward your big, long-term goals. Short-term goals are important because they act as milestones, are more easily attainable and thus give you much-needed motivation when you achieve them, and keep you moving forward.)
Tracy says that your vivid mental images will materialize, whether they’re positive or negative, so choose to harness your mind’s power for good things. (Shortform note: While Tracy says that it’s important to only visualize success, others argue that you should also visualize failure. Doing this can help you come up with a plan for avoiding failure and prepare for the worst-case scenario.)
Visualization isn’t a one-time activity in the pre-goal setting stage, but something that you should do every day. The longer you spend on this exercise, the clearer the images will become and the deeper they’ll be embedded in your subconscious. Tracy suggests using tools like vision boards to reinforce mental pictures. (Shortform note: The Secret describes a vision board as a physical representation of what you want. To make a vision board, cut out pictures of your desired things, people, and experiences, then stick them onto a poster board. Place this board where you can see it every day.)
Achievers act immediately, Tracy emphasizes; non-achievers always have an excuse not to start. (Shortform note: While Tracy’s advice shares some commonalities with Byrne’s advice in The Secret, this tip is where they greatly differ. Tracy emphasizes taking action, while Byrne has been criticized for passively relying on the Law of Attraction to bring you success, a strategy that some experts view as dangerous because it takes away your agency.)
Once you’ve gotten into the right mindset by taking responsibility, clarifying your values, rejecting self-limiting beliefs, and visualizing your future, you can start setting and achieving your goals. Tracy breaks down the process into 12 steps: We’ll now discuss each step in more detail and include some practical ways to apply the tips to different areas of your life.
(Shortform note: In Tracy’s process, Step 11 is visualization, which we already discussed in the pre-goal-setting stage as something you should keep doing every day. We’ve replaced this step with an additional tip from Tracy about measuring progress. While he doesn’t formally include this tip in his process, measuring progress is an integral part of achieving your goals.)
According to Tracy, the first step to setting goals is to determine what you actually want. This is important because knowing what you want keeps you from wandering aimlessly—when you know where you’re going, you can move forward purposefully and decisively. (Shortform note: While you shouldn’t formulate goals based on what others want, instead focusing on what you want as Tracy suggests, copying other people’s strategies to achieve goals is effective. Research suggests that emulating other people’s successful tactics to reach similar goals can increase your confidence.)
Use this step to figure out what you want and set the direction for every area of your life: finances, career, relationships, and health. To avoid coming up with vague wishes, make sure that your goals are:
Tracy argues that having clear and quantifiable goals allows you to measure your progress. (Shortform note: Tracy writes that it’s important to be specific and have an unambiguous target; however, being too specific can be detrimental—when you aim for a particular number, missing the mark even slightly can make you feel like you failed. To stay motivated and expand your definition of success, try setting range goals instead of single-number targets. For example, instead of making your goal to “save $5,000 this year,” make it to “save $4,000 to $6,000 this year.”)
Your goals should push you out of your comfort zone, Tracy notes. If they’re too easy, then you won’t experience much growth. (Shortform note: Challenging goals, also called stretch goals, are good because they motivate you to work harder, but you might feel discouraged if the goals are too challenging. Research suggests that range goals have the added advantage of striking a good balance between being challenging and being attainable.)
Deadlines give you a sense of urgency and prompt you to act. Tracy says it’s okay if you don’t meet them—they aren’t set in stone, and you can just keep setting new deadlines until you reach your goals. What matters is that you have a target to aim for. (Shortform note: Some argue that setting deadlines for your goals can be limiting and disheartening, so they recommend paying attention to the process to reach your goals. For example, instead of aiming to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year, aim to walk at least 7,000 steps every day. Focusing on the process keeps you focused on action and may even lead to better outcomes.)
As discussed in the pre-goal-setting section, Tracy recommends clarifying your values so that you’ll have goals that are true to who you are. If your goals aren’t aligned with your values, you’ll end up feeling unfulfilled. Furthermore, if they aren’t aligned with each other, you’ll end up sabotaging yourself. For example, one of your goals might be to build a successful business, while another goal might be to have plenty of free time to pursue your hobbies. Since these two are at odds with each other—building a business requires your time—you’ll find it impossible to accomplish both.
(Shortform note: To avoid having conflicting goals, author Tony Robbins advises coming up with a hierarchy of values then pursuing the goals aligned with those values one at a time. In Awaken the Giant Within, he writes that you can eliminate values from your list once you’ve achieved them so you can then focus on other things on your list. Continuing the previous example, if your goal is to build a successful business, you can remove it from your list once you’ve put the business in place and it has become stable. You can then shift your time and attention to pursuing your hobbies.)
If you were honest about what you want in Step 1, you might now have a list of goals that seem unattainable, from the amount of money you want to earn to the kind of relationship you want to have. Instead of doubting your ability to achieve your goals or being intimidated by the time and effort required, have a strong conviction that you can do, have, or be anything that you want.
To foster this sense of confidence, Tracy recommends avoiding goals that are outrageously ambitious, because you’ll only feel discouraged or defeated if you don’t hit these goals right away. Instead, set one small goal after another. This strengthens your goal-setting muscle, giving you the confidence to set bigger goals.
For example, if you want to increase your income, first think of a figure that is attainable within a realistic time period given your situation, resources, and skills. Instead of aiming to increase your income by 100% right away, aim for a 30% increase within a year.
(Shortform note: Tracy advises starting with small goals with the objective of working your way up to big ones as a confidence-boosting exercise. But studies show that having big, long-term goals at all may actually lead to disappointment and unhappiness because they take so long to achieve. To have a healthier approach to your major life goals, view them with some detachment: Your goals aren’t prerequisites to happiness, but they give you direction as you navigate your way through life. If your circumstances change, allow yourself to let go of big goals that no longer align with the direction you’re going. This will help you to retain the confidence that Tracy states you need to move forward.)
Once you have a strong conviction that you can achieve whatever you set out to do, it’s time to commit your goals to paper. Tracy says that the simple act of writing down your goals is transformative, and he cites a Harvard study to back up his claim: In the study, Harvard MBA graduates who had written down their goals after graduation were later found to be earning 10 times more than those who hadn’t written down their goals. (Shortform note: The Harvard study that Tracy mentions here is widely cited in books and articles. However, there is no record that this study ever took place. Still, other studies have shown that writing down goals increases your chances of success.)
Tracy recommends that you spend five minutes a day listing 10 to 15 goals. Refine the list as the days go by until your goals become clearer and eventually become second nature to you. This daily act of writing not only helps you keep track of your progress but also forges a stronger connection between your conscious and subconscious mind, orienting you toward goal-attaining actions. Tracy says it’s okay to be skeptical about this connection, but you should have the discipline to keep doing the exercise anyway.
Why You Should Strengthen Your Conscious-Subconscious Connection
Tracy says that regularly writing down your goals reinforces the connection between your conscious and subconscious, but he doesn’t go into detail about how this connection can help you. Author Maxwell Maltz explains that strengthening this connection is important to prevent yourself from sabotaging your efforts. In Psycho-Cybernetics, he writes that consciously deciding to achieve goals isn’t enough to actually help you achieve them—these conscious goals should also be aligned with your subconscious goals, otherwise you’ll engage in self-sabotaging behaviors. For example, your conscious goal might be to have an intimate relationship, but your subconscious goals might lead you to push people away.
To address this incongruence, Maltz says that you should work on your self-image, which is the “operator” of your subconscious. Having a positive self-image ensures that your subconscious leads you toward productive, rather than destructive, behaviors.
Once you’re clear about your destination, the next step is to determine your starting point. Tracy says that you should be brutally honest about your current circumstances and how you got there. Reflect on the people or behaviors that have led to your current situation and that may continue to hinder your progress and prevent you from reaching your goals. Not having to deal with these barriers will save you plenty of time and effort in the long run, so think about how you can be free of them.
For example, if your goal is to make a million dollars, your starting point is how much money you currently have. List all your assets and subtract your liabilities from them to determine your net worth. Then, reflect on the behaviors that led to your situation and that may keep you from reaching your goal—for example, not tracking your expenses, using retail therapy to cope with stress, and paying for a gym membership you don’t use.
(Shortform note: You might avoid assessing your starting point because confronting your bad habits and relationships can be painful. Plus, even if you are willing to put yourself through the pain of self-assessment, you may lack the self-awareness to determine all the factors that can hinder you from progress. To increase your self-awareness, ask people close to you to point out patterns in your behavior. The opinions of objective outsiders can help you see your blind spots.)
Once you’ve figured out what goals to pursue and where to start on them, turn your attention to why you want to achieve them. The road to your goals can be long and arduous, so reminding yourself of the reasons you want to achieve them can keep you going despite the obstacles. To this end, Tracy says to list all the reasons you have to pursue each of the goals on your list. Write as many reasons as you can think of—having more reasons increases your motivation, persistence, and determination.
For example, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds, one of your reasons might be “to feel comfortable in a swimsuit next summer.” However, you might delay taking action if the summer is still months away. Having other reasons such as “to have more energy,” “to stop taking medication,” and “to improve my sex life” can increase your motivation and get you moving.
(Shortform note: Tracy emphasizes the importance of finding reasons to pursue goals to keep you motivated to achieve them. However, some argue that motivation can only get you so far when it comes to chasing success. To keep going even when you’ve lost your drive, design an environment that helps you reach your goals with less effort. You can do this by automating decision-making, incorporating good habits into your daily routine, and taking away negative influences.)
After writing down your reasons for wanting to achieve the goals you’ve chosen, turn your attention to setting deadlines for each of them. It’s okay if your progress isn’t perfectly aligned with your predicted timeline—Tracy says you might achieve some goals earlier and others later than planned. What matters is that you have a target timeline to aim for.
(Shortform note: Tracy doesn’t mention why deadlines are so important to goal-setting. Deadlines are necessary because they give you a sense of urgency, force you to think about how to move forward, and help you manage your priorities. Without deadlines, you procrastinate or spend too much time on easier tasks that are only vaguely related to your goal.)
Tracy notes that some deadlines might be five or 10 years into the future, so you might get overwhelmed by the long road ahead. He recommends that to better approach intimidating long-term goals, you break down your deadlines into more manageable sub-deadlines or short-term goals, such as tasks you can accomplish each week or month. For example, if your goal is to make a million dollars in 10 years, your short-term goal might be to invest a specific amount each month. Meeting your short-term goals not only keeps you moving but also makes you feel accomplished, which in turn boosts your confidence and motivation.
How to Transform Big Goals into Actionable Steps
Breaking down deadlines into sub-deadlines, as Tracy recommends, makes daunting goals seem more doable. In 12 Rules For Life, author Jordan Peterson gives practical tips for turning big goals into more approachable tasks:
Think about one thing you can do today that will make your life a little better at the end of the day than it was in the morning.
Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself the way you want an ideal boss to treat you—you wouldn’t want a boss who never thinks your work is good enough.
Reward yourself for small wins.
Now that you have a comprehensive view of your goals and when you want to achieve them, the next step is to identify potential challenges. According to Tracy, challenges are inevitable and failure is part of the process of pursuing your goals. He writes that successful people understand that the only real failure is giving up. (Shortform note: Remove the stigma of failure by learning to see it as something positive: When you fail, remind yourself that it’s only a temporary setback and that the experience holds a valuable lesson. Then, reflect on how you can use the lesson to move forward.)
When you know the challenges and potential problems ahead of you, you can be better prepared to face them. Tracy offers these two tips for preparing for the challenges ahead:
1) Find the root cause. Write down every possible roadblock and look at each problem from every angle, digging deeper until you find its root cause. Tracy says it’s important to identify the root cause of your problems so that you can determine the right course of action. (Shortform note: To encourage deeper thinking as you reflect on your problems, revisit the “five whys” technique you used while clarifying your values: Look at each problem and keep asking why it’s happening until you arrive at the root cause.)
If you’re having trouble determining the root cause, ask someone close to you to give their perspective. There’s a big chance that the root cause might be you—Tracy writes that 80 percent of your obstacles stem from your own weaknesses, fear, and doubt. (Shortform note: These weaknesses vary from person to person. Some of the internal forces that might sabotage your progress are a lack of discipline or focus, perfectionism, and the need to be liked.)
2) Find solutions, not excuses. Instead of dwelling on your problems and how they make you feel, Tracy says to stay solution-oriented. (Shortform note: One way to do this is to ask solution-oriented questions. For example, instead of asking, “Why am I not getting promoted?” ask, “What three things should I accomplish this quarter to improve my performance?”)
Once you identify your challenges, you’ll have a clearer idea of the skills required for you to overcome them and reach your goals. Tracy argues that if you don’t have the necessary skills or if you’re weak in some areas, commit to learning and strengthening those skills. Learning new things will not only help you reach your goals but will also increase your self-esteem and give you more courage and confidence to pursue what you want. (Shortform note: Additionally, research suggests that continuous learning offers advantages outside of goal achievement, such as keeping you agile and adaptable to change, helping you make new friends, broadening your perspective, and enriching your life.)
Tracy says that learning new skills is especially important for your career goals because your skills are directly related to your earning ability—he writes that the more skilled you are, the higher your potential income. (Shortform note: Tracy associates career success with a higher income, so to him, the end goal of upgrading your skills is to make more money. However, some argue that career success is not just about accomplishments, but a combination of financial stability and personal fulfillment. Clarifying values in the pre-goal-setting stage can help you come up with your own definition of career success.)
Tracy gives four tips to help you determine the skills you need:
Tracy explains that key result areas (KRAs) are the skills you need to do your job. In management, for example, the KRAs are planning, organizing, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, and reporting. Once you’ve identified your specific KRAs, rate yourself in each area on a scale of one to 10. (Shortform note: To identify and assess your KRAs, go back to your job description and look at job postings in your field, evaluate both your hard and soft skills, and review your performance evaluations.)
Next, Tracy recommends asking your boss, customers, and co-workers to rate you from one to 10 on your KRAs, or have them fill out an anonymous survey to comment on your performance. The results will give you a more objective view of your performance. (Shortform note: Receiving critical feedback might make you feel discouraged or defensive. To become more receptive to feedback, authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen write that you should learn to view feedback as evaluations rather than judgments. Read more in our full guide to Thanks for the Feedback.)
To identify your weaknesses, review your self-assessment and others’ assessment of your skills. Tracy says it’s important to identify your weakest area because you can only go as high up the career ladder as your weakest skill will allow you. Resolve to improve until you score no lower than a seven on any of your key skills. (Shortform note: Tracy writes that for you to be successful, all your skills should have a minimum rating of seven. However, some would argue that it’s impossible to be good at everything. Avoid wasting time trying to turn your weaknesses into strengths and work on managing them instead. Put in the effort to get just good enough, and consider working with people with complementary strengths to make up for your weak areas.)
Finally, Tracy advises that you use your strengths—the skills that feel natural to you, that you perform well, and that make you feel like you’re in the zone—to your advantage. If you discover that your particular talents are more suited to another field, don’t be afraid to start fresh. Working in a field that taps into your natural abilities can more quickly increase your earning ability than sticking it out in a field that doesn’t play to your strengths. (Shortform note: If you think that your strengths are better suited to another career, don’t make the jump right away. It’s prudent to first set up informational interviews with people in your prospective new career field. Your goal during the interviews is to learn as much as you can about the industry—both negatives and positives—so you can make an informed decision.)
After identifying the skills you’ll need to achieve your goals, assess what kind of help you need from other people to improve your skills and move closer to your goals. Tracy believes that other people are necessary to your success, whether their role is to open doors to opportunities or to provide emotional or moral support. The right kind of help can save you years of hard work and fast-track your achievements.
(Shortform note: You might think that building connections with others is unnecessary because some successful people are described as “self-made”—and, in misalignment with his emphasis on the importance of connections, Tracy himself has a book about self-made millionaires. However, some say that the self-made person is a myth. Even entrepreneurs who started their empires from virtually nothing relied on family, friends, financial backers, and customers to build their business.)
It’s therefore important to build and nurture your relationships in three areas:
1) At work: Whatever field or business you’re in, Tracy says that you’re essentially in customer service. Your job is to meet the needs of those who play a role in your advancement and those who rely on you: your boss, co-workers, staff, customers, and suppliers. Be a team player by doing what’s expected of you, knowing your priorities, and genuinely offering to help others. (Shortform note: Tracy writes what you should do as a team player, but he doesn’t describe what you should be. In The Ideal Team Player, author Patrick Lencioni describes a team player as someone who is humble (putting the success of the team above personal interests), hungry (driven to do more), and smart when it comes to dealing with other people. Read more in our full guide to the book.)
2) In your industry: Tracy notes that some of the best people you can associate with may not be within your organization, so venture out of your workplace and get involved in industry associations and business organizations. Volunteer for committees then do your work well. Those you impress today might be able to open doors for you tomorrow. (Shortform note: If the idea of building a network throughout your industry intimidates you, you can treat it as a big goal that you can break down into smaller goals. For example, resolve to make one new industry connection each week.)
3) At home: Tracy stresses not to take your loved ones for granted. Be sure to explain why you have to put in long hours at work and make it up to them in the future. Having a happy, supportive home life can motivate you to do better in the outside world. On the other hand, having problems at home can negatively affect you, distracting you from work and draining your energy. (Shortform note: Tracy says that a happy home life can lead to a better work life, but the two actually reinforce each other. Research shows that employees who are engaged at work carry those positive feelings back home and are more satisfied with their home life.)
While the ninth step typically involves identifying people who can help you reach your career goals (like your boss and co-workers) or your health goals (like doctors, if you have underlying health conditions), it also means evaluating what you bring to the table, especially when it comes to your personal relationships. Tracy advises that you think about the qualities that can improve your relationships, like patience, humility, attentiveness, and warmth, and practice them until they become second nature.
(Shortform note: You should think about what you bring to the table because networking should be mutually beneficial. Be sure to have something to offer the people that you connect with instead of just thinking about what they can do for you.)
Now that you’ve clarified what you want, identified the challenges, and determined the skills and people you need, Tracy says you’re ready to turn your goals into multi-step projects with deadlines. Even though circumstances are bound to change and not everything will go according to plan, the act of planning itself can better prepare you for the challenges that come your way. (Shortform note: Tracy outlines his basic planning tips, but there’s more than one way to plan. Look for a way that works for you, whether it’s an online planning tool, a detailed spreadsheet, or a simple to-do list on a whiteboard. The important thing is that you have a plan, any plan, in place.)
Tracy writes that you shouldn’t aim to come up with a perfect plan from the beginning. Instead, just aim to get started on working toward your goals—you can make adjustments to your plan along the way. Even if you don’t consider yourself a planner, he says it’s a skill you can learn, so practice the following basic steps:
Tracy recommends that you put your plans down on paper with tasks arranged by priority then sub-tasks arranged in the order you need to do them and when. Note that you may be able to do some tasks at the same time. (Shortform note: Tracy recommends thinking about your tasks chronologically, but research suggests that planning in reverse is more effective for long-term goals than chronological planning because it forces you to think of each step in terms of having successfully completed the previous step. Put simply, planning in reverse means working your way backward from your goal until you reach the first step.)
Once you have your project-planning sheet, Tracy says to identify which tasks require other people’s action. Then, ask those people to give you a realistic projection of the time and resources they need for them to do their part—it’s possible that they’ll need more or less time and resources than you anticipated. Make adjustments to your plan based on their input. (Shortform note: You won’t always work with people who are on the same planning wavelength as you. If you have to collaborate with a non-planner, make them more open to the idea of planning by mentioning how having a plan can benefit them and promise to keep planning sessions short.)
After breaking your goals down into mini-projects and consulting other people who are essential to your plan, you now have a better understanding of exactly what’s involved in achieving your goals. If, after careful planning and discussions with the people involved, you find that your initial goals aren’t feasible, Tracy says it’s best to put them aside rather than waste your time, money, and energy pursuing a lost cause. (Shortform note: This advice may feel at odds with Tracy’s earlier statement that the only real failure is giving up. However, experts agree you should let go of a goal when it has a negative effect on you, gets in the way of other goals, or no longer aligns with who you are and what you want. Choosing not to pursue a goal in any of these circumstances arguably isn’t a “failure”—more, a sensible decision to step back.)
Achieving your goals isn’t just about having a well-detailed plan. It’s also about executing that plan according to schedule. Tracy stresses that time management—learning how to prioritize tasks that help you reach your goals—is a crucial skill to keep you on track. (Shortform note: People often confuse time management with multitasking, or doing several tasks at once. While time management is meant to help you prioritize your tasks and do them efficiently, multitasking reduces your efficiency and even damages your brain.)
Just as planning is a skill you can develop, so is time management. Tracy has three tips to help you stay on track:
Tracy advises that before each workweek begins, write down your tasks for the week ahead. Then, each morning, write down your tasks for the day. (Shortform note: If your to-do list looks unmanageable, try this trick: Have another list where you write only one thing from your long list, then focus on doing your chosen task until you’re done. Cross it out, then choose your next task. Being intentional about each task minimizes the chances that you’ll get distracted.)
Here’s a simple gauge to determine how high a task should be on your priority list: Ask, “What are the consequences if I don’t complete this task?” Tracy says that the task with the biggest repercussions for non-completion should be the highest on your list. (Shortform note: Author John C. Maxwell recommends another way to determine your priority tasks. In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he writes that you can evaluate each task according to the three Rs: requirement, or whether you need to do it yourself; return, or the results that the task yields; and reward, or whether it’s something you love—Maxwell says that it’s worth spending time on the things you enjoy.)
Tracy recommends using the 80/20 Rule to determine your high-value tasks: Determine the 20 percent of your tasks that give you the most value, and channel most of your efforts toward accomplishing those first. (Shortform note: The 80/20 Rule that Tracy mentions is also known as the Pareto Principle, which states that 80 percent of consequences come from 20 percent of causes. Some warn against using the 80/20 Rule across the board, because doing so may leave little room for exploration and growth. While you should evaluate which activities give you the most value, you should also be flexible and make adjustments as needed.)
Once you start executing your plan, the next step is to monitor your progress. Tracy says you can do this by setting daily, weekly, and monthly benchmarks and metrics for each of your goals. Numbers make it plain to see whether you’re moving closer to your goal, allow you to make corrections as soon as you see that something is off, and help you stay on schedule. For example, your daily metric for your weight-loss goal can be the number of calories you consume. Your weekly metric can be how many minutes you spend exercising. Your monthly metrics can be how many pounds you lose.
(Shortform note: To have a clear picture of how you’re doing, author Cal Newport suggests keeping a physical display of your metrics in a visible place. Seeing your progress can help keep you motivated and encourage you to celebrate small milestones.)
With a clear picture of your future and a solid plan in the execution phase, all that’s left to do is to keep moving forward, no matter what challenges come your way. Tracy says that there are two qualities that you need to develop so that you can face the challenges you encounter: courage and persistence.
Tracy writes that you need courage to face what is likely your biggest challenge: fear. Being afraid of failure and rejection can make you indecisive and paralyze you. He suggests four methods to overcome the fears that are holding you back:
Tracy claims that gaining more information and experience in the areas you’re afraid of can give you more confidence. He believes that the more you know, the more confident you’ll become. For example, if you’re afraid of losing money because you don’t know much about investing, read books, attend seminars, and talk to experts so that you can build up the courage to take informed risks. (Shortform note: Interestingly, Tracy’s claim that more information makes you more confident is at odds with the well-known Dunning-Kruger effect, which states that people who know the least about a subject are the most confident in their knowledge about it.)
Tracy says that being sick or tired can affect your attitude. Working on your fitness, getting a good night’s sleep, or going on vacation can recharge you and make you feel more ready to take on challenges. (Shortform note: If you don’t have the luxury of being able to go on vacation, rest more, or spend time getting fit, try meditation. A few minutes of daily practice can reset your mind and reduce fear and stress. Learn the basics of meditation in our full guide to Mindfulness in Plain English.)
Tracy says you should list all of your fears in order of magnitude. Then, analyze how each fear hurts you and helps you, and how you can benefit from overcoming it. For example, a fear of rejection may hurt you by keeping you from getting to know a potential romantic partner and help you by pushing you to nurture existing friendships. Overcoming this fear of rejection can help you find someone who can share your struggles, celebrate your successes, and build a family with you. (Shortform note: If you’re struggling to face your fears, use positive peer pressure to help you. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and go after what you want. For example, if you’re very shy and afraid of socializing, you might commit to spending more time with your most extroverted friends.)
Tracy says that the steps above won’t get you anywhere if you don’t take action. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect before you start anything—opportunities will open up to you as long as you start moving. (Shortform note: Take care not to mistake motion for action. In Atomic Habits, author James Clear defines motion as the planning phase, and he warns that it can work against you by giving you the illusion that you’re making progress. On the other hand, action is the actual performance of steps that move you closer to your goals.)
While courage can help you start reaching for your goals, persistence will keep you going despite the obstacles. Tracy repeatedly says that challenges are inevitable, and even the most successful people have had their fair share of setbacks. The reason they’re successful isn’t their luck or exceptional talent but their ability to endure despite difficulties and to learn and grow from adversity.
(Shortform note: To become a person who can keep going no matter what, adopt a growth mindset—believe that your talents and traits are changeable and that you have the capacity to improve and rise to the challenges you face. To shift to this mindset, author Angela Duckworth writes that you might have to unlearn the beliefs that shaped you, such as negative feedback that you received as a child. Read more in our full guide to Grit.)
Prior to setting goals, Tracy says that you should get into the right mindset.
Take responsibility: Describe a time when you blamed your failure on external factors. What could you have done differently to prevent the failure?
Clarify your values: Describe a difficult choice that you made in the past. What values does this choice reflect?
Reject self-limiting beliefs: Think of a belief about yourself that keeps you from achieving your goals (for example, you believe that you’re not good at networking). What would you do differently if you didn’t have this belief?
Tracy says that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to, but that it’s best to start with smaller goals so you can gain more confidence and increase your belief in yourself.
List three of your goals. These can be personal or professional—just remember to keep them relatively small and manageable.
Which of these goals can you achieve in the shortest amount of time? By when do you aim to achieve it?
What are the potential obstacles to achieving this goal within your given time frame?
What’s one thing you can do today to start moving toward this goal?