Major Milestone Reached — A Story about Setting Goals

On the first morning of this new decade I sat down at my desk and took some time for myself to look back at the past year in terms of my online business projects. It was a moment that I will never forget and that made me have goosebumps, as I realized that a great milestone was reached with the most precise timing.

But let me share some background information first.

Making a Wish at Wat Phra That Doi Kham

In February of 2019 I traveled to Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand, to kick off a three month business boot camp which I had planned with my best friend and business partner. One month later, I went on a weekend trip with three good friends from Bangkok.

We were planning to go to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, but our first destination was a famous Buddhist temple not far from Chiang Mai called Wat Phra That Doi Kham — Temple of the Golden Mountain.¹

Before our arrival, I was already informed about the conventions of this temple. They told me that it is a place where people go to make very specific and rather short-term focused wishes. I was instructed to formulate any wish in a very precise way, ideally with a measurable unit and deadline to it. 

Photo of the temple setting at Wat Phra That Doi Kham

I did as I was instructed and went on to make a donation, collect and light my incense sticks, before sitting down to make my wish. It took me a few moments to become mindful and to focus on formulating my wish. Eventually, I found the right words and whispered them with my eyes closed. After repeating them a few times, I kept sitting there for a while in silence to soak in the energy of this moment.

Setting a Financial Stretch Goal

I made a very clear wish. I was asking to find a way of making money that I can consistently work on, independently from any job and location, which by the end of the year will generate 1000 € in one month.

The goal of making 1000 € in one month from an online business has always been a special goal for me. Me and my best friend have defined it as “freedom money”. “Freedom” not because it’s an amount of money that let’s you do anything you want, but rather because 1000 € is an amount that in most places allows you to survive and live a modest but comfortable life without worries. Most importantly, it would enable me to consistently spend 100 % of my time with things that I want to focus on.

At the time when I made this wish, this was definitely a goal that seemed quite out of reach, but not completely impossible. I had only really started working on my own online business projects a month before, with a realized income amounting to 0,29 €. That was it. All of it.

Neither did I know what to focus on, nor what precise online business I will pursue for the rest of the year. It all just started to come together during the following months — until it happened eventually.

Screenshot of my online business income spreadsheet for 2019

As you can see in above screenshot, I reached my goal. On the very last day of 2019, I made the last few product sales that took my income for that month just above my goal. To be precise, in December 2019 I made 1.001,07 €.

It is unbelievable to me.

Spiritual or Not — Setting Goals Makes All the Difference

I’m neither a spiritual person, nor do I believe in any specific religion. I don’t pray or believe in a conscious higher power, that somehow has control about our life and that we can ask for help when needed.

However, I do believe that there’s some form of an underlying potential within our unconscious mind. A specific element or layer of our being, that we can tap into through mindfulness and gratitude. Something that we can use to set our inner compass towards a vision for our own life.

I believe that setting goals and defining milestones is the key to make a vision become reality. They are required for us to be able to evaluate and measure progress along the way, making the whole journey actionable. Without setting goals along the way, a vision will always only stay a dream.

Even with setting goals, a lot of uncertainty, cluelessness, and even doubt might prevail. However, I think defining goals for ourselves — and especially ones that seem a bit out of reach — enables us to be open-minded for opportunities, which will help us achieve them. If we don’t consciously put them on our radar, we simply might not be able to recognize them when they show up.

This true-to-life experience definitely motivates me to set new goals for this new year and for my future. Upon my arrival in Chiang Mai later this month, I will have the chance to return to this temple and to offer flowers. In the photo from above, you can see many of them in front of the shrine, all from people who returned after their wishes came true. I will also make a new wish.

Maybe this little experience of mine can motivate you to take some time to set new goals for yourself in this new year. It will make all the difference in you getting a step closer towards your vision.

Looking forward to hear about your goals and stories in the comments below this article.