The Secret to Reaching Big Goals

Breaking down your dreams into smaller actions

Marketing Shenanigans (#034)

Life starts to make a lot more sense when you reverse engineer what you want. Let me show you how powerful this can be.

The Problem with Goal-Setting

Most people set goals by focusing only on the end result:

  • “I want to make a million dollars.”

  • “I want to get in the best shape of my life.”

  • “I want to build a successful brand.”

Here’s the issue: They forget about the inputs—the daily actions needed to make those goals happen.

The Power of Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering flips the script. Start with your big goal, then break it down into small, actionable steps you can take every day.

For example:

  • If your goal is to get in shape, don’t focus on the weight you want to lose. Focus on how many workouts you’ll commit to each week or how many calories you’ll track.

  • If your goal is to grow your business, focus on the number of leads you’ll generate or the amount of content you’ll consistently create.

When you set goals around inputs—things you can control—you remove the guesswork. Every day becomes a chance to take action, and over time, the outcomes take care of themselves.

Gamify Your Goals

The fun part? You can gamify your life.

Each day becomes a mini-win as you hit your input goals. It’s like turning your lifestyle into a game that steadily moves you closer to where you want to be.

But here’s the hard truth: Reverse engineering forces you to ask a tough question— Is the lifestyle required to achieve my goals one I actually want to live?

If it isn’t, you can redefine your goals or adjust your approach to align with what truly matters to you.

Design a Lifestyle

Reverse engineering isn’t just about hitting big goals—it’s about designing a lifestyle that makes those goals inevitable.

Start with the end in mind. Break it down into small, consistent actions. Build habits around those actions. And watch your goals become your reality—on your terms.

The Takeaway

Big goals aren’t achieved by focusing on the outcome. Reverse engineer them by breaking them into small, daily actions. This approach makes your goals inevitable and ensures the journey aligns with the life you actually want.

Talk soon, Teddy

Teddy Giard

Teddy Giard, CEO of Giard & Co.

In case you don’t already know, my name is Teddy, and I operate a firm that specializes in marketing strategies for lifestyle brands. Our approach is simple: align your product development timeline with your marketing production timeline; by doing so, we can own the distribution of our message and our products.

If you’d like to explore working together, feel free to fill out this form, and if we’re a good fit, we can schedule a discovery call. We ask this because we keep a fairly narrow target for whom we work, and we like to be as open about that on the front end as possible. After all, time is life’s most valuable resource.