Top Goal Setting Frameworks – Small Business Bonfire

Just like most things in life, there are frameworks for goal setting.

I would highly suggest NOT reinventing the wheel.

Choose a framework and stick with it.

S.M.A.R.T

The oldie but goldie, SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) have been my go-to for structured planning.

Golden Circle

Dig into the ‘why,’ circle through the ‘how,’ and then land on the ‘what.’ Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle flips the traditional model on its head.

Goals Pyramid

Stack your goals from the base up, with your mission at the bottom and your tasks at the top.

Locke and Latham’s 5 Principles

These principles pivot around Clarity, Challenge, Commitment, Feedback, and Task complexity to make goals stick.

B.H.A.G. (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals)

Not for the faint-hearted, B.H.A.G.s are transformative goals that shift how you think about scaling and growth.

HARD

Heartfelt, Animated, Required, and Difficult – HARD goals tap into your emotional energy and fully engage you in the goal-chasing quest.

WOOP

This mental strategy stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan – a mental contrasting technique that helps cement goal achievement.

Here’s a cool graphic that I created about all these B.A. frameworks.

Pro Tip: If you’re new to setting goals, start easy. You’re looking for a goal snowball where you CRUSH a goal and then set another one.

When you make your goals too lofty, you lose steam when you fall short.