Proven 7-Step Method To Achieve Any Goal [LNIM227]

Want a battle-tested system for achieving any goal? In this episode, Mark breaks down Zig Ziglar's legendary 7-step goal achievement process — a method used by millions of people over more than 40 years. Whether your goal is launching an online business, hitting a revenue target, or building a new skill, this framework gives you a clear path from aspiration to accomplishment.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The complete 7-step goal achievement system from Zig Ziglar
• How to use the SMARTer framework to define goals that actually stick
• Why listing benefits creates the leverage you need to push through obstacles
• How to find people willing to help you (and why most entrepreneurs overlook this step)
• Why setting a deadline transforms a wish into a commitment

Episode Summary

Mark dedicates this episode to walking through Zig Ziglar's 7-step process for achieving any goal. He has used the system himself and notes that if you study the methods of most modern goal-setting teachers, you will find these same elements at their foundation.

Step 1: Identify Your Goal. Start by making sure your goal is well-constructed. Mark recommends the SMARTer framework: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Reasonable, and Timely. The “er” adds two requirements — your goal should be Ethical and Revisable. You will learn things along the way that may require you to adjust, and that is perfectly fine.

Step 2: List the Benefits. Write down exactly why this goal matters to you. If the benefits are not clear, you will give up when things get hard. This step creates leverage — the emotional fuel that keeps you moving when motivation fades.

Step 3: List the Obstacles. Identify everything standing between you and your goal. This is not pessimism — it is preparation. Reframe each obstacle as an opportunity to learn and grow. These obstacles become the raw material for your action plan.

Step 4: List the Knowledge and Skills Required. Take an honest inventory of what you need to learn or develop. This list feeds directly into your plan and prevents you from being surprised by skill gaps later.

Step 5: Find People to Help. Mark emphasizes that most entrepreneurs overlook the people and relationships already available to them. Many people genuinely want to help — it is their mission or it brings them joy. You just need to ask. Do not assume you need to do everything alone.

Step 6: Create an Action Plan. Take your goal, break it into a three-month milestone, then break that into weekly increments. Execute weekly. This hierarchical approach ensures you always know what to work on today, which solves the most common problem with big goals — not knowing what to do next.

Step 7: Set a Deadline. A goal without a deadline is a wish. Define when you will achieve this goal. If your planning reveals the original deadline is not realistic, revise it — you now have better information. Deadlines create urgency, and urgency creates action.

Key Takeaways

• Zig Ziglar's 7-step method has been used successfully by millions of people for over four decades
• The SMARTer framework adds ethics and revision to the standard SMART goal model
• Listing benefits creates emotional leverage that sustains you through obstacles
• Break big goals into quarterly milestones, then weekly tasks, so you always know what to work on today
• Most entrepreneurs underestimate how many people are willing and eager to help them
• A goal without a deadline is just a wish — deadlines create the urgency that drives action

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this in January 2022. Zig Ziglar's goal-setting framework is timeless and has not changed. What has changed is the availability of tools to support each step. Project management tools like Notion and ClickUp have become more powerful and accessible. AI assistants can help you brainstorm obstacles, identify skill gaps, and even draft action plans. But no tool replaces the discipline of working through these seven steps yourself. The framework remains as effective in 2026 as it was when Ziglar first taught it decades ago.

Resources Mentioned

• Zig Ziglar
• Free Video Courses on How to Start Your Business Online
• Send Mark feedback
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

Related Episodes

• LNIM226 — Leveraging A Positive Mindset To Achieve Your Goals
• LNIM221 — How To Achieve Your Goals: A Complete Plan
• LNIM233 — Limiting Beliefs: Skiing Whiteface Mountain

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Have a question for Mark? Email [email protected] or call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655.