Goal Setting with Heart: Why I Ditched SMART for STUPID
Goal setting…
It doesn’t matter if you’re in your first year of business or your twentieth—everyone talks about it like it’s the key to everything.
And in a way, they’re not wrong.
We live in a performance-driven world.
If you're the hardest worker, you get the results.
If you're the top closer, you get the bonus.
If you hit the numbers, you win.
That's how the system works.
It's how nature works, too.
Early bird gets the worm, right?
But let’s zoom out for a second.
After years of working with clients and building multiple businesses myself, I've seen a common pattern. Most people set goals based on performance—what I call extrinsic goals. Things like:
“I want to make $100K.”
“I want to get a six-pack.”
“I want to hit 10K followers.”
Those are fine. You need targets.
But when you build your entire vision off numbers and checkboxes, your business becomes hollow.
What I’ve found is that fulfillment doesn’t come from performance—it comes from impact.
From why you’re doing what you’re doing.
From who you’re becoming in the process.
Performance vs. Purpose
We’ve all been conditioned to believe performance equals value.
If you're not producing, you're not important.
If you're not growing, you're falling behind.
If you're not crushing it, are you even trying?
The problem is: when you start setting goals for your own business, that same conditioning bleeds in.
You stop asking, “What impact do I want to make?”
And you start asking, “What metrics will make me feel worthy?”
And that’s a trap.
Because your business isn’t a machine.
It’s more like a body. A living, breathing extension of your heart.
Your body doesn’t perform based on daily output metrics. Your heart doesn’t say, “I’ll beat 1,000 times today so I’m successful.”
It just beats. It does what it’s designed to do.
That’s the kind of rhythm I want you to build in your business.
When you start setting goals from the heart, everything shifts.
You’re not just chasing numbers.
You’re anchoring impact.
How to Set Goals from the Heart
When I do this for myself or with clients, we don’t start with strategy.
We start with intention mapping.
Here’s what it looks like:
Get grounded first.
No distractions. No politics. No chaos.
Put on some music. Light a candle. Go for a walk. Do some deep breathing. Whatever calms your nervous system.Then ask yourself…
What impact do I want this business to have?
Who do I want to help, and why does it matter to me?
How will this goal challenge me to grow in meaningful ways?
What part of me lights up when I think about this?
Let your heart answer—not your head.
Your head speaks in logic and language.
Your heart speaks in feeling, connection, and truth.
That’s how you tap into real clarity.
That’s how you build a business that fuels you.
And that’s how you keep going when the numbers don’t cooperate.
The STUPID Model
(Yes, Really)
You’ve probably heard of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, etc.
I’ve used them. They’re helpful.
But sometimes they make me feel like I’m building a spreadsheet, not a life.
So I started using a new model:
STUPID goals.
Because when I was tired, overwhelmed, or doubting myself, I didn’t need a 5-point performance metric.
I needed something simple enough to do—so I could start building momentum again.
So here’s how I define a STUPID goal:
Stupid easy
Totally doable
Unbelievably simple
Possible right now
In momentum (not perfection)
Designed to build confidence
If $10K months feel too far away, can you aim for $1,500?
If launching a course feels overwhelming, can you write the outline this week?
The point isn’t to dream smaller.
The point is to stop letting complexity keep you stuck.
When your goals are simple enough to take action on today, that’s when things actually move.
One Last Thought
If you’re reading this and feeling behind—don’t.
I’ve been there. Most of my clients have been there.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
Set goals that your heart understands.
Not just your mind.
Make it about the impact.
Make it about the people you’re serving.
Make it about the version of you you’re becoming.
And keep it stupid simple.
Because from what I’ve seen?
Stupid simple goals create seriously fulfilling businesses.
Let me know if this hit for you. Would love to hear what kind of goals you’re working toward right now—and how you’re grounding them in something real.
You’ve got this.