Setting and Achieving a Goal is Like Placing an Online Order

Reaching a goal can be as straightforward as ordering something online. If you complete every step in the process, you can be confident that what you need will come to you—as long as you keep moving in the right direction.

For example:

Let’s say your goal is to sell 20 widgets in February. I’ll compare the online bookstore where I once bought an antique copy of “As a Man Thinketh” to what I call Life’s Distribution System.

1. Decide What You Want.
Just like the bookstore won't ship me a book I didn’t ask for, you can’t expect ideal clients to show up for a vague sales goal. Be specific. Choose the dollar amount or outcome you're aiming for, and clearly define it so Life knows what to deliver.

2. Put It in Writing.
Before I could order As a Man Thinketh, I had to search for the exact title. I didn’t type, “not Catcher in the Rye, not Poe…” That would be absurd—and wildly inefficient.

Precision matters. Write your goal clearly and with intent.

Don’t write “get out of debt” if what you really want is “financial freedom.” Life doesn’t respond well to vague search terms. You’re not trying to locate the “debt” page—so stop using that language.

Vague requests yield vague results, and then we wonder why things don’t go our way. Too often, we’re placing fuzzy, unfocused orders and blaming Life for the confusion.

So, make your request clear. Write it down. Use the present tense—as if it’s already done. This is like entering it into Life’s search bar. For a deeper dive on this concept, read The Jackrabbit Factor.

Try something like:
“February 28, [year]: I have now sold 20 widgets.”

That statement gets you to the right “order page,” but you're not finished yet.

3. Add to Cart.
Once I found the book I wanted—over 100 years old—I had to click Add to Cart. That’s how I told the system exactly which version I wanted.

Likewise, once you’ve written a basic goal statement, take it further. Add detail. Be vivid.

Try:
“February 28, [year]: I am so happy and grateful now that I have sold 20 widgets. I’m amazed at how easily the right clients showed up. I was able to provide something truly valuable to them at a fair price. We’ve built a positive relationship and are excited to continue working together.”

That’s how you add your dream to the big Cart in the Sky.

4. Enter Your Shipping Address.
After clicking Add to Cart, I had to tell the store where to send the book. This step connects the item with me. No address? No delivery.

Your goal needs to connect with you, too. That happens in your mind.

Picture yourself already achieving it—closing the deal, signing the contract, delivering the product. Your imagination is where your desired outcome and your identity merge. This mental image is the database where everything must come together before it’s fulfilled.

5. Receive Confirmation.
Once I entered my shipping info, I provided my payment. That’s the “price” I paid for the book.

With goals, we’re told “paying the price” means grinding—endless calls, skipped meals, long nights. But that’s not the kind of price Life is asking for if you want lasting success.

The real price is emotional.

You must feel what you’ll feel once it’s done. This is next-level visualization. Experience the emotions now.

Imagine this:

You’ve just signed the contracts. You shake the client’s hand, exchange warm smiles. You feel joy swell in your chest. You close the door behind them, feel the cool metal of the doorknob, and walk to your desk, grinning. You call your spouse:
“I did it! It felt like a miracle, but I did it. Let’s go out to dinner tonight!”
Tears in your eyes. Kids cheering in the background. Laughter and celebration.

That is your confirmation. That’s your emotional receipt.
Write down that feeling so you can revisit it when doubt tries to creep in.

Now breathe. Life received your order. Go about your business—calmly, confidently. There’s no need to hustle in desperation. You’ve already paid.

6. Expect it to Come, and Open the Door.
Once I paid, I expected the book to arrive. All I had to do was wait, trust, and answer the door when it came.

Your goal works the same way.

If you’ve gone through the whole order process—clarified, written, visualized, felt—then expect your goal to arrive. Watch for it. Don’t cancel your order with disbelief. When the opportunity shows up, answer the door.

By faith, it comes to you. By action, you receive it.

Yes, you’ll still face tasks and challenges. You’ll see “evidence” that it might not work. But your job is to stay steady—at peace, with quiet confidence. You don’t need to know how it will happen. Just refuse to quit until there’s truly nothing left to do.

Related:
How to Know if You’ll Reach the Goal (podcast)

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