Growing Together: 7 Essential Foundations of Goal Setting
- Rachel Tomlinson
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
I started mini-farming in my backyard two years ago. I've learned valuable lessons from watching peppers, tomatoes, basil, and other plants and herbs blossom. Growing and blossoming is a beautiful journey of pruning, shedding, browning, and withering, and ultimately culminating in abundance.
As a plant, there's a set time for each stage of development in our own lives. Take a moment and embrace every stage you're in. Don't feel overwhelmed with the idea and pressures of setting goals. I shifted my views of goal setting to opportunities to grow, blossom, and bloom where I'm planted. Every small step we take and system created is a great step in reaching your goals.
Let's evolve into the individuals we aspire to be and are meant to become.
Bet on Yourself: I can do it!
Believe you can achieve it. Some may call you delusional, but let their doubt fuel your determination. Failure is not an option. When we set out to achieve something, that's already a win. We don't fail we learn, pivot and grow. Starve your doubts and feed your faith. We all wrestle with insecurities, but don’t let them hold you hostage.
If you believe you can’t achieve a goal, you’ll limit the goals you even attempt. Don’t sabotage your growth with self-doubt. True confidence is not built on ego or narcissism; it’s grounded in purpose. Doubts simply reveal coaching opportunities. Confidence can be learned and strengthened.
Precision: Be clear and specific with your goals.
If it’s a business goal, write down the exact number you want to hit- quantify it.
If it's a family goal to eat together at dinner, meal planning will be helpful, for me, putting away my phone and closing my laptop helps me avoid distractions. Other tips include creating alerts for reminders, give the kids countdowns to complete homework, and creating a warm and inviting space.
Don’t be vague. Write the vision and make it plain. Specificity unlocks the right strategies to achieve results.
Set the Bar
Choose goals that are attainable yet challenging. If your goals are too low, you’ll lose interest. When I set out to lose 20lbs through fitness and healthy eating, I started off with 5lbs at a time. I do believe in being realistic, so I got my blood test results, hormonal panel, metabolic screenings, and my health team hyped me up to make it happen. My body was in the right condition with no visible underlying health issues that would impede reaching my wellness goals. I've surpassed those goals and have a lower body fat since I was pregnant with my son 7 years ago.
If they’re too high, frustration will consume you. Align your goals with your current skill set while leaving room for growth. Remember, you can always adjust to find the healthy balance.
Training: Everyday I'm growing.
Grow your skills and knowledge. The fact that you can’t currently reach a goal doesn’t mean it’s out of reach. Ask yourself, what are my learning gaps? Seek experts who can reveal blind spots. If a skill is essential, commit to learning it or hire someone who has it.
Always be ready to learn. Learn new skills that are hot in the market like AI, coding, the stock and real estate market, social media and podcasting.
Commitment and Proximity: Birds of a feather...
The higher the goal, the greater the commitment required. Break your big goal into smaller sub-goals. Beware of lifelong struggles like fear, distractions, and bad habits. They will fight against your progress. Create a supportive community, shift your schedule if needed, and stay disciplined.
You also become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Surround yourself with goal-driven, disciplined, and productive people. Proximity matters. When you’re working toward a goal, spend time with people who are smarter, stronger, and further along than you. Their influence will elevate you and strengthen your commitment.
Avoid Perfection:
Don’t wait for the perfect moment, perfect plan, or perfect conditions. Start now. Launch the business, release the product, apply for the promotion, or make the move. Don’t despise small beginnings. Start where you are and build, grow, and scale from there.
I'm doing pre-launch for a castor oil product in my new company In Wellness Co. This new launch will be my most scrappy and baseline product. No need for fancy boxes and expensive marketing printouts. The product speaks for itself. It's effective and it works. Don't wait for the golden moment!
Avoiding perfection, also looks like hiring my 11 year-old to do my social media, lol. 
Truly Rachel Holiday Box Seek Feedback: "Can I pick your brain or leave a comment below..."
Feedback accelerates growth. Celebrate your wins, but also use setbacks as opportunities to learn. Ask for feedback from reliable, honest sources. Truth is the first step to freedom. Don’t get defensive. Receive feedback with humility, and let it shape your progress.
I'm rooting for you and I'm encouraged to see us grow together.
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