A goal describes the outcome you want. A next action describes something you can do to move toward it.
Keep that distinction clear. You can send a proposal. You cannot control whether the customer accepts it. The sale is the outcome; sending the proposal is an input you control.
Start with the outcome
Ask what result would make you feel you had succeeded in your role. Write it down, then choose a timeframe.
In the curriculum, Matt favors shorter timeframes because they make updates more action-oriented. He often focuses on goals he wants to complete within the next month. Use a timeframe that helps you decide what to do next.
Choose what matters most
If you could finish only one goal, which would it be? Make that the first priority.
Matt recommends a small set of goals, and ideally one to focus on. A long list can make it easy to stay busy without making enough progress on the outcome that matters most.
This doesn't mean every other responsibility disappears. It means the priority is visible when you choose where to put your attention.
Write an action you control
Look at the next step and ask whether you can complete it without waiting for someone else's choice.
For an illustrative hiring goal, “Hire a designer” is an outcome. “Write the role description and send it to the hiring manager” is a next action. If that action is still too large to start, break off the beginning.
Find the first two minutes
Matt's proposal example makes this concrete. Writing and sending a proposal may take two hours. Finding and reserving the two hours can take less than two minutes.
That small action creates a place for the larger work to happen. The curriculum recommends doing the short step immediately once you have identified it.
Try this with one current goal:
- What outcome do you want, and by when?
- What is the next action you control?
- What are the first two minutes of that action?
- Can you do those two minutes now?
At the next update, report what happened and choose the next step. Keep connecting the work back to the outcome.