What’s your four minute mile?

I had the opportunity on Wednesday to attend Startup Riot and while there, I saw Kyle Porter present about his company, SalesLoft. He did a great job and won second place!

Seeing Kyle present reminded me of his blog and of a post that I really liked, What’s your four minute mile?

Companies often will talk about a BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

Professional athletes usually have a huge goal or achievement they strive for, be it winning a championship or running a four minute mile.

Entrepreneurs almost always have a ridiculously hard to achieve goal – selling their company.

But this got me thinking: If you’re not a corporation, a professional athlete or an entrepreneur, do you have a long-term, hard-to-achieve goal? Do you have something in your life that you’re striving for that is really, really hard to achieve? Something that you set your sights on and maybe ten years later you attain it?

When my partners and I were building our business back in the day (1998-1999), we had a goal to be acquired. From day one. We set our sights on that, knew it would be a long, long haul, and never wavered. And that focus helped us make decisions along the way.

I’d recommend everyone have such a goal. Think about your life, either personal or professional. Then think about what you’d be most proud of accomplishing. Something that wouldn’t be achieved in three months but rather ten years. Something really hard to achieve and that would completely fulfill you if you were able to achieve it. Once you figure that out, you can then backtrack and work through the steps it will take to get there. Then you have a plan.

Then you can begin the begin. And start the doing.

 

 

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