Big Goals, Bold Vision: Why I’m Setting Goals That Terrify Me

Because growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone — it starts with one bold, scary step.

While organizing my office yesterday, I came across a folded sheet of paper tucked inside a journal. Scrawled in my handwriting: “Goals: Set goals that terrify me.” The note was dated June 15, 2024.

I smiled. I remembered exactly where that idea came from—a podcast I’d listened to around that time had challenged listeners not just to dream big, but to set big goals, terrifying goals to be exact.

At the time, I’d come through a whirlwind of life changes, and thinking beyond the next six months felt impossible, let alone envisioning five to ten years ahead. But that one phrase lit something up inside me. What would it mean to stop playing small and go all in?

The Power of Terrifying Goals

As a seasoned student of coaching, I took myself through the very process I guide my clients through. I brainstormed and explored without judgment or restriction:

• What would I love to accomplish in the next 90 days?
• What is something I’ve never done before that would shove me out of my comfort zone in the next year? Five years? Ten?
• What goals feel out of reach—but deeply aligned with who I want to become?
• What is not serving me—what do I need to stop doing?

Some of my goals felt just out of reach; others seemed almost impossible. And yet, those goals planted seeds for transformative change.

Coaching, at its core, is about discovering what matters most—your values, your vision, and your deepest desires—and then taking aligned, courageous action to create something you don’t yet have. That’s how sustained, meaningful change happens one micro-action at a time.

What I Learned Looking Back

Nearly a year later I felt tremendous satisfaction in reading my note. I had achieved one of my two 90-day goals and accomplished the following:

✅ Completed a 70.3 Ironman in Galveston, Texas in blustery, challenging conditions

✅ Took an international trip–although I set a goal for two–exploring the wonders of Panama

✅ Made significant progress toward business goals I never dreamed possible 

✅ Deepened key relationships in my life and accepted other relationships exactly as they are

And the bigger goals? Oh, they are still on the horizon—and yes, they terrify me. In the longer term I’d love to live in another country for a month or two or perhaps longer. I also embrace a bold business vision that I’m actively building every single day.

But the real win isn’t just the achievements. It’s who I became along the way.

Coaching Works

Doing this terrifying-goal exercise forced me to think bigger and bolder than ever. And then I wrote it down. I mapped it out. I took action. Guess what? The shift in my thinking created two more big goals I never considered prior to starting this journey. 

And now? I’m doing the exercise again this week—dreaming even bigger, even scarier, for what’s next.

Because here’s what I know to be true:

💡 The process of change is in the journey. That’s where the growth happens. And it is magical. 

Your Turn

✨ What would happen if you set a goal that truly scares you?

✨ What might open up if you stopped waiting to feel “ready” and simply started?

✨ If you’re standing at a turning point and craving something different…

✨ If you’re ready to trade survival for possibility...

Let’s explore what you really want—and set a terrifying goal together. You don’t have to do it alone.

📅 Book a connection call with me. Let’s go!