Welcome back to Pivot to Profit Podcast, where personal growth meets business strategy. I'm your host, Tavier Woolley, where we talk honestly, raw and real about what it actually takes to build the life, the business, and the impact you want to have. Today we're talking about something that comes up constantly when I'm talking to my colleagues, clients, fellow entrepreneurs, and people in the community, which is goals. People love talking about their goals. I know I do. I love setting them, and I'm sure you do too. People love dreaming about their goals. I know I do. They love planning them. I find that to be the best part. But what I notice over the years is that the issue is rarely the goal itself, but there is a part where we're going to talk about that. The real issue is execution. And when I listen to people talk about what they want to achieve, whether it's starting a business, losing weight, making a cajillion dollars, writing a book, launching a project, or making a big life pivot, what I consistently hear are these execution gaps. Notice I didn't say there were intelligent gaps, opportunity gaps, or anything like that. Not even resource gaps. It's always execution gaps. But before I get into all the execution gaps, there is one thing we need to begin with. And this is when the problem could actually be your goal. So let's begin with the foundational question. Are you even chasing the right goal? Well, are you? Let's find out. So let's get chatty for a minute about the goals we select. Part of the execution gap is sometimes we are choosing the goals that are not actually ours. I know, sounds ridiculous, but give me a second. Those goals can be influenced by social media, society, family expectations, cultural ideology, our friends, what sounds nice, the expectations, what we think we should be doing. There are so many things that can influence the goals that we actually have. Believe it or not, that's actually a real thing. Sometimes the goals we select are based on all those things I just named. And sometimes on a very basic level, we love the validation, the applause, the high fives, and the cheers we get when we name the big goal, the one that everyone is in awe and admiration of. But validation doesn't equate to alignment. So one of the first questions you have to ask yourself is well, why am I choosing this goal? Is this something I genuinely want? Or is this something I feel I'm expected to want? And you know, let's be honest, sometimes people are expecting big goals, become a millionaire when really you might just want to have enough to live a very comfortable life. So we want to make sure those goals are aligned with you as a person. So ask yourself even these questions. Am I chasing this goal because society says it's a good goal to have? Because here's what it comes down to. If you're going to achieve something profound, it requires a level of commitment that goes way beyond motivation. You either have to be a little crazy about it, yep, a little crazy about it, or super duper incredibly task-oriented and discipline, especially if the goal doesn't naturally align with who you are. We see this all the time with careers like medicine and law. There are plenty of people who went to medical school in law school, did all the schoolwork, passed all the exams, even started the career, but would later leave the career because it did not really align with what they wanted to be and who they wanted to become. Now, let's be honest, medical school and law school is not easy. It is a grind. It takes years of schooling. And of course, you have to pass all the exams just to get the degree. But because they were influenced by the expectations of their family, they did what was necessary. But that doesn't equate to actual alignment. Now, on the flip side, when a goal is aligned, something different happens. You become obsessed with it. You think about it often, you're naturally curious about it, you're willing to endure the challenges that come with it. Because if a goal doesn't spark something inside of you, if you can't imagine yourself doing this work day in and day out, if it doesn't energize you even a little bit, then it might not be the goal you should be focusing on. So let me give you a personal example. For many years, I had a goal of going to law school. I know, round of applause. Right? And this wasn't something that I just came up randomly. This is something I had been thinking about since I was a little girl. So a lot of my upbringing was oriented around preparing for that possibility. How do I build the right resume? How do I position myself? How do I make sure I'm ready and eligible for law school? But life happens, right? Marriage, children, career, responsibility, all the things. And at some point I had to stop and ask myself a very direct and honest question. Do I still want to go to law school? Or is this just a goal I've been carrying because it sounds good? Or because it's impressive? Like, come on now, going to law school is impressive. Or is it because people have come to expect that from me? And so I did what I'm asking you all to do. I paused and I took several months and really sat with that goal and that question of do I really want to go to law school? In that I asked myself, why would I want to go to law school? Would my life improve if I did? Would it bring me joy? Would it be fulfilling, or would it feel like a burden? And yes, I talked about this decision and the thoughts that were coming up with my wise counsel. Remember, wise counsel are a team of people that I respect and highly admire based on their knowledge and expertise in their field and people who know me intimately. Through that process, I realized something important. My life at its current moment was not structured in a way that supported a going to law school. And if I truly wanted that goal, I would have to make serious changes in my life. That meant saying no to certain things. Actually, a lot of things. That meant building more structure into my life. That meant creating space and discipline for what that journey would require. And that's the phase I'm in right now. Preparing intentionally for the possibility, no. Preparing intentionally for the goal being achieved of me attending law school next fall. But here's the point. The first question you have to ask yourself is do I actually want this goal? Because the reason some people don't execute is because deep down, they don't actually really want the goal. And if you're going to achieve something worthwhile, you have to become wildly obsessed with it. Because execution requires energy. It requires focus and of course, persistency and resiliency. If the goal doesn't align with you, it's almost impossible to sustain that level of effort. So before we talk about execution gaps, we have to start with this question. Is this goal really mine? Now, I'm not going to leave you hanging. Let's pause for a moment to go over some questions to ask yourself. This is a judgment free zone. Plus, only you will know the answer because I'm not in the room with you. Let's do an origin check. Where did this goal come from? Who first introduced me to this idea? When did I first decide I wanted this? What influenced that decision at that time? So here's a prompt. I started wanting this goal when dot dot dot fill in the blank. The people who influenced this goal were dot dot dot, fill in the blank. At that time in my life, I valued XYZ, fill in the blank. Ask yourself if nobody could see me achieve this goal, would I still want it? If the answer is shaky, there's a possibility you're dealing with external influences, not internal alignment. Let's do a validation check. Am I chasing this goal for the applause? Do I want the goal or do I want the reaction to the goal? How do I feel when I tell people about this goal? Do I get excited about doing the work or simply talking about it? Would I still pursue this if nobody praised me? Hmm. That's a good question, right? So here's an exercise. Say your goal out loud, then ask, do I want the lifestyle or the title? Do I want to be a lawyer or do I want to say I'm a lawyer? You hear the distinction? That distinction will reveal some things for sure. Now let's check for alignment. Does this fit who I am now? Is this goal aligned with who I am today, not who I used to be? Has my life changed since I made this goal years ago? Do my current responsibilities support this goal? Does this goal still reflect my values? What matters most to me now is fill in that blank. So ask this reality check question. Would I choose this goal again today if I was starting from scratch? Hmm. If the answer is no, that's your signal. Now let's move on to energy check. Does this goal give or drain energy? Does thinking about this goal energize me or exhaust me? Y'all, because sometimes those huge goals can be drainy. When I imagine doing the daily work, how do I feel about that? Do I naturally think about this or do I have to force it? Am I curious about this goal or just committed to it? Like, have you thought it through? Here's some reflection prompts for you. The part of this goal I avoid most is the part that excites me, if any, is fill in that blank. So let's rate your excitement level. Okay, on a scale of one to ten. What is it? Your curiosity level. One to ten. What is it? Resistance level. Tell me what that number is. If resistance is higher than your excitement, then you should pay attention. So let's move on to the sacrifice check. Am I willing to pay the price? And let's be honest, the price is hefty. Am I willing to do what the goal actually requires? What will I have to say no to? And what habits will I have to build? And what discomforts will I have to tolerate? Do I want this outcome enough to accept the process? Because you don't get one without the other. Now let's do an obsession check. Can I stay with this? Can I stay with this? It's almost like marrying it. Can I stay committed when it gets hard? Extremely hard. When it's boring or when it gets slow? Would I keep going without immediate results? Can you do this for a long time without seeing the results and you would still pursue this? Would you still pursue this if it took longer than you expected? Can I see myself doing this for years? Execution requires obsession. Am I willing to be a little unreasonable about this goal or maybe a lot unreasonable about this goal? And this is the final question. This is where we get down to the nitty-gritty. After asking yourself all those questions, right? Ask yourself, do I still actually want this? Then sit with it. Don't rush the process, don't rush the answer. Sit with the uncomfortable truth or the reality, whatever you want to call it. And once you found that answer that comes bubbling to the top, then you can start focusing on the actual execution gaps. Execution gap number one, giving yourself too much time. One of the biggest execution problems I see is people give themselves way too much time to achieve the goal or to do something, to jump into action, basically. Too much time creates space for you guessed it, procrastination, overthinking, and second guessing. It also allows for distractions to creep in. When there's too much distance between deciding to do something and actually doing it, that space gets filled with everything else. That's why I talk about the pivot method. When you decide to take action on something, implement it within 72 hours, no more than seven days. But ideally within 24 hours. Because action creates momentum. Think about a train. When it's sitting still, it takes an enormous amount of energy to get it to move. But once it's moving, it can push through almost anything. Actually, probably everything. Execution works the same way. It is better to implement messy and immediately than to overthink and never start. All right, so get started. Execution gap number two, doing the wrong task. Another execution problem is people working extremely hard on all the wrong things. Sometimes this happens because of fear. Other times it's because people genuinely don't know which activities actually move them closer to their goals. For example, let's say someone wants to generate$5,000 per month selling a product. The activities that lead to that outcome might be sales outreach, marketing content, customer follow-ups, creating and designing promotions. Those are considered income-producing activities. But what people often do instead is, well, organize their inventory. I know I love to organize things too, but that's not considered income-producing activity. Redesign their website. Honestly, in this very moment, do you need to redesign the website? Probably not. Rebuild their logo, color code, spreadsheets. Y'all, I get it. I actually love all those things, but they're not income-producing activity. Those tasks feel productive, but they are not moving the needle. They're busy work disguised as progress. So ask yourself, if I don't do this task, will anything change? If I complete this task, does it move me closer to my goal? If this was the only activity I focused on every day, would it eventually produce the outcome I want? Mmm. Execution is about doing the right things repeatedly, not just staying busy. So execution gap number three, talking too much about your goals. Another execution problem is that people talk way too much about what they're going to do. I know, I know, I might have stepped on some toes. But let me get real clear. You're talking too much about what you're going to do to the wrong people, which could lead to receiving potentially inappropriate feedback. Sharing goals can be, in fact, helpful, but it depends on who you're sharing it with. If you're an entrepreneur, talking about your plans with people who are not entrepreneurs could lead to feedback that may not be helpful for you. Those people may not understand your path. Even if they mean well, their feedback might sound like, are you sure that's going to work? I don't need any more doubt. That seems risky. Well, duh, I'm an entrepreneur. Maybe you should do something more stable. Well, if I wanted a nine to five, I would get a nine to five. That kind of feedback can create doubt. Reality is that when you are busy doing the work, even when you are making mistakes, you are being refined and learning in the process. Sometimes you don't need feedback from others. You need the direct feedback loop you get from doing something, watching it grow or fail, and in that you make adjustments in either direction. Sometimes the best thing you can do is keep the work close to your chest. You don't need constant validation. You need focus. There's a phrase people like to say online in social media world, which is build in silence. For me, that simply means put your head down, stay focused, and do the work. Results will speak for themselves. Execution gap number four, not tracking your actions. Another major gap is that people don't track their actions. They rely on feelings instead of facts. We don't need no feelings, we need just the data. People say I've been working really hard. But when you ask specific questions like, how many sales calls did you make? How many posts did you publish? How many prospects did you contact? There's no answer. Or their general answers, uh, about approximately, I'm not sure. Tracking removes excuses, it creates accountability, and at the end of the week or month or even the day, you can ask yourself, did I actually do enough? Did my actions match my intentions? And sometimes the answer is quite uncomfortable, but also it's powerful because data allows you to adjust. Execution requires, actually, it demands measurement. So get to tracking, not get to walking, get to tracking. So execution gap number five, unrealistic timelines. The final execution gap is unrealistic timelines. Some goals take multiple phases, many milestones, and a lot of learning curves. For example, weight loss. Losing 20 pounds in one month might be possible through extreme methods, but it's rarely sustainable. Long-term results require habit changes, consistency, lifestyle shifts. So when setting timelines, ask yourself, what does this actually require? What skills do I need? And what milestones are involved? Execution isn't just about speed, it's about sustainable progress. So today we talked about six major execution gaps. One being choosing a goal that is aligned with you. Giving yourself too much time is not helpful. Doing the wrong task can lead to no results. Talking too much about your goals to the wrong people can create doubt. And not tracking your actions, you can never scale or grow. And lastly, setting unrealistic timelines. So the question I want to leave you with is this which one of these gaps is showing up in your life right now? Because once you identify the gap, you can close it. And truth is, success rarely comes down to motivation, it comes down to consistent execution. So here's your challenge. What is one action you've been thinking about? Yes, thinking about taking that you can implement within the next 72 hours. Not next month, not in the next three months, definitely not next quarter or next year. Within the next three days, start the momentum because goals don't change your life, execution does. I'm Tavia Woolley, your host of Pivot to Profit, where personal growth meets business strategy. And I can't wait to see you in the next episode.