How to Shoot for the Moon and Stick the Landing

Ever heard of a stretch target? 

If this is a new term for you, let me break it down for you. The concept of a stretch goal is essentially to shoot for the moon, knowing that even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.  Without getting too bogged down in the cliche, know that you should absolutely set your stretch target with the intention of hitting them. However, don’t expect to hit all of them. The few that you do hit will be absolutely amazing. 

Consider this a cautionary warning: Stretch goals work really well sometimes and not so well other times. But when they definitely don’t work, it’s when you’re coming out of a failure or downward trend.  

Stretch targets don’t work when you’re using them to “turn things around.”  On the contrary, they work best when you’re already on a roll, when you’re building momentum and running with it. 

To help you set your own stretch goals, I came up with the HOMI model. 

Habit: What’s one habit that’s stopping you from hitting your stretch target? 

Habitual thinking is often one of the biggest hurdles stopping us from achieving our goals. One of the scariest things a business owner can say (or think) is, “We do it this way cause it’s the way we’ve always done it.” Don’t let this kind of thinking stop your stretch targets in their tracks! 

Objectives: How can we be absolutely clear about the purpose behind every stretch target? 

The target can’t be the end goal. We need to understand what that stretch goal is doing for us in the bigger picture. Ask yourself what the overall impact is if you achieve your stretch goal and map it out at the very beginning.  

Motivation: What’s in it for your team? 

If you want your team to get on board with those bigger targets, they need to understand the direct benefit for them. In saying this, it also means understanding what is going to motivate them internally. For some people, money’s the answer. For others, it’s freedom or flexibility.  

Inspiration: How are you going to lead with confidence? 

The key here is to tap into that internal motivation and leverage it to the point of inspiring those around you. Show how motivated and committed you are to achieving this stretch goal and let it become infectious! 

So, now you’ll never shy away from a big dream again because you know exactly how to execute on it! Remember, you may not hit every stretch target you set, but the ones you do hit will really be really wow.