Set YOUR Goal... But Make It Awkward
Step TwoBy now, you zeroed in on the area of your life, career or business where you’d most like to level up. (Missed that step? See it here.)
Now it’s time to pinpoint exactly what you want to accomplish. In other words, it’s time to set a goal. A goal that will help you get from the restless place you are now to the place you want to be. A goal that will guide exactly what you should (and shouldn’t) be doing every day. In other words, the goal that will move your life, career or business awkward and upward. Obviously, not just any goal will do.
Search the Internet, and you’ll find a whole alphabet soup of types of goals from SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) to BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).
Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve got enough hair to deal with. In the last week alone, I’ve had my gray roots touched up, my eyebrows arched, and I’ve shaved my legs at least once… probably. So I’m inclined to skip any type of goal that sounds woolier than my winter legs.

Enter the Big Awkward Goal.
As its name suggests, your BAG should be just ambitious enough that it makes you squirm a little when you think about it (in a this-is-gonna-be-tough-but-let’s-do-this way!). If it’s inside your comfort zone or just on the other side of it, it probably isn’t big or awkward enough.
On the flip side, your goal shouldn’t be totally out of reach. Otherwise you’re going to give up when the going gets outside of your comfort zone.
Ready to get goaling? Follow the prompts below to get to your Big Awkward Goal.

Big Awkward Questions to Help You Set Your Big Awkward Goal:
- Review your answer to the question from Step 1 – How to Know Where You Need to Grow: In what area of your life, business or career are you currently uncomfortable and ready to level up?
- With that answer in mind, imagine your life one year from now. If everything were exactly as you want it to be, what would your life, career or business look like?
- Now for the good part… What is the single biggest thing you need to accomplish to go from where you are now to where you want to be? Achieving that should become your Big Awkward Goal.*
*In case you’re thinking, “There’s umpteen things I need to achieve to get there!” and are tempted to set umpteen goals… Resist the urge! Pick one overarching goal that will take you farthest fastest.
In the next post, we’ll talk about how to actually get there, including hitting those umpteen milestones along the way.