By Doug Bennett aka The Goals Guy® with special guest Michael DeLon

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed and it seems like you can’t take your Business to the level you’ve always dreamed about? While some people might think of giving up outright, or to keep trying the same methods over and over again, there’s a way out. A way to transform your goal setting and leverage your goals to an even greater degree.

I recently chatted with bestselling author Michael DeLon on the Goals Do Come True podcast (click here to listen). He is the president of Paperback Expert and he helps business owners clarify their brand strategy and become bestselling authors themselves. 

Michael has certainly had an interesting journey, from working in radio advertising for a missionary organisation, to finally running a successful business where he helps thought leaders create books without writing a word. I was especially thrilled to have a chat with Michael on his goal-setting journey and how it all came together. 

Starting off with a big, hairy audacious goal

As you already know, I’m big on mapping out audacious goals and understanding the drive behind these goals. So, it was pretty exciting to discover that Michael shares a similar sentiment:

Michael: “Our big, hairy audacious goal is 3.5 in 2025. What that means is, as a company, we are driving to generate $3.5 million in gross revenue by December 31st of 2025. We’ve got our objectives set and we are definitely on track. It’s going to be an exciting journey.” 

The need for systems

While it’s important to set goals, having the right systems in place makes the difference. As it turns out, Michael certainly knows a thing or two about putting the right systems in place and leveraging them for success.

Michael: “I’m a giver who’s always wanted to give BIG, but eight years ago, I didn’t have the right people in place. My business didn’t have the right systems in place to get it profitable, run on autopilot, and finally, show that we can take it to the next level. 

In many cases, I see businesses offering to help their clients scale to seven or eight figures. However, this often turns out to be a myth because the small business owner doesn’t have the systems in place in order to make that happen. So, we have systematically worked over the last two years to build systems into our business and hire people to run those systems. Now, it’s a well-oiled machine that allows us to serve more clients without overwhelming our team, making it easier for us to hit our objectives.” 

Having the right systems in place provides you with a sense of direction and clarity, allowing you to make informed decisions and take purposeful actions. You’ll have a sense of order and purpose, knowing that you’re on the right path. So, whether you’re working as part of a team or pursuing personal goals, take the time to create a system that works for you. It could be the difference between aimlessly wandering and confidently striding towards your destination. 

Getting on track with an automated system

Michael: “My son, Caleb, is our Chief Operations Officer and he creates all our systems. Currently, we have over 67 systems that work in a variety of areas. The incredible part is that each of these systems are typically built within 30 to 40 minutes. Because they’re codified, it’s easier for the rest of the team to find them, use them, and come back if they have any questions. This helps Caleb with time management because he gets to do everything in one fell swoop.

At the end of the day, we’re empowering and equipping our people to take things off of our plate and that’s effective delegation!” 

Like Michael, I, too, believe in teaching my team how to make bigger decisions for themselves. It’s like a safety net that gives your team the confidence to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities.

In my book, Think Simple Win Big, I emphasised the importance of automation and processes to help leaders streamline their workflows and delegate effectively. When your team has the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions, they become more autonomous and productive, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture. 

The power of fulcrum positioning

Having navigated an eventful journey from radio advertising to a successful self-owned business, Michael has hacked the art of setting the right goals to nudge you along the path to success:

Michael: “When I first wrote my book, I introduced a fascinating concept called fulcrum positioning. Imagine a teeter-totter (or see-saw) in your mind. You know how it works, right? If you put the fulcrum, or the balancing point, in the middle, it stays level. But what if you move the fulcrum closer to one end? Suddenly, one side becomes much heavier than the other, and you get extreme leverage!

So the big question around goal setting is: where can you move that fulcrum over to gain greater leverage in what you’re focusing on? What are the top two or three things that I need to focus on that will bring me the biggest results and get me where I want to go? That’s the mindset that I try to have around goals.”

I often suggest to my coaching clients who feel like they have too much going on that they do a brain dump. This involves writing absolutely everything that’s occupying your mind – every single thought, idea, and task – on a sheet of paper. Once you have everything down on paper, it’s time to prioritise. Identify about two or three things that will have the biggest impact on your business and focus your energy on these things. 

Setting the right priorities

Usually, when we try out these brain dumps, we often find that we’re expending the same amount of energy on a client that’s worth £3000 and a client worth only £500. However, if you present this scenario to an 8-year old, they’d be able to identify which client to prioritise. 

Unfortunately, it can be hard for us to see past the items piled high on our plate and come to this realisation.  So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just get it all out on paper and create a system that works for you. 

Talking to Michael was a breath of fresh air and it got me thinking about how having a system or automated process can transform your goal-setting. Whether it’s writing your goals down in a tiny notebook like I did or practising effective delegation to maximise your productivity and hit your objectives, the right system really makes a difference.

What systems do you have in place for your goal setting? If you’d love to share them and get further clarity on how to work towards your goals, click here to book a complimentary discovery call with me.