Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice.
If you have ever experienced any of this below, then this blog is for you..
- Have you set a goal for X amount of money you wanted to earn and then felt frustrated every day you didn’t reach it?
- Did you set a big goal for the revenue you wanted for your business and failed to reach that number?
- Ever set an ambitious goal of increasing your customer base and failed to get near that figure?
- Hoping to generate a net profit of a certain amount in your business and failed miserably?
- Have you ever set an audacious goal of increasing your follower base to a sizeable number and did not achieve it?
I have been working with individuals and business owners for nearly 4 decades now – 35 years as a professional in corporates and last 4 years as consultant & coach. I’ve seen this happen over and over again.
Most of them only cared about the results:
“I’ll make ₹20 lakhs this quarter.”
“I’ll close 15 clients this month.”
“I’ll get 20,000 people to follow me on Instagram.”
Are these goals impossible to achieve? Absolutely not!
Then why is that only few businesses or people can achieve these results while others fail?
Why Entrepreneurs Can’t Reach Their Goals
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Statista say that about 80% of small enterprises don’t last more than five years. McKinsey research also says that firms fail because they don’t have clear goals, don’t plan well, and don’t follow through on their plans.
It’s not that business owners aren’t putting forth the effort. It’s because they often miss their targets.
And what does this lead to? A cycle of stress, anger, frustration, and finally burnout.
The Problem with Output Goals
The problem lies is that these are output goals, and the fact is you can’t control the outputs.
Goals for revenue, number of clients, or number of followers are all outputs. They depend on too many outside things:
Demand in the market
Budgets for clients
Rivalry
When
You’re judging yourself by things you can’t control when you connect your sense of progress to these.
For example, “I will close five clients this month.” Even if you do your best, a client might take their time making a decision, pick a different vendor, or lower their budget.
The False Sense of Control
Research published in the Harvard Business Review shows that goals that are linked to things outside of your control can make you more stressed and less productive. Why? Because they make you feel like you have power, but when things don’t go your way, you don’t have any power.
An example: What you put in affects what you get out
Picture a farmer.
He doesn’t remark, “I need to pick 100 kg of rice this season.” That’s not what he wants. He is focused on things he can do:
Watering every day
Taking out weeds
Fertilizing on time
👉 The harvest is just what those inputs made.
The same goes for business owners. You can’t tell how many clients will sign up or how much money will arrive in each month. But you can promise to:
Calling 15 people a day to sell
Posting three times a week
Following up on every lead within 24 hours
And if you keep to those inputs, the results will take care of themselves.
The Strength of Goals Based on Input
In my personal working style and also having observed some of the successful business owners & leaders closely, I’ve discovered that real success occurs when you stop chasing outcomes and start focusing on inputs—the things you can control.
So, what do you mean by “input goals”?
Input objectives are concrete, measurable things you promise to perform every time. You have complete power over them.
This is the difference:
Goal for Output (Result-Oriented)
Input Goal (Action-Based)
Get five clients this month.
Call 15 potential customers per day.
Get 20,000 people to follow you on Instagram.
Write three posts a week that are useful.
Make ₹10 lakhs this quarter
Send 10 proposals a week and then follow up.
Notice how inputs are about what you do, not what occurs to you.
Why Input Goals Work (and the Science Behind It)
Less Stress
Research in psychology reveals that concentrating on behaviours that can be controlled lowers fear and boosts confidence.
Harvard research show that setting objectives based on actions keeps you more motivated than chasing results.
Being consistent makes things more predictable.
McKinsey’s research suggests that companies that follow strict daily routines expand up to 30% quicker than those that don’t.
Makes you stronger
Entrepreneurs keep motivated even when results take longer than expected because they measure success by effort and discipline, not by how the market changes.
Framework: Setting Goals for Input
Here’s a basic four-step plan that I utilize with the solopreneurs I coach:
Step 1: Have a Vision
Outputs are still important. Think of them as your guide.For example, make 30% more money this quarter.
Step 2: Divide It Up into Inputs
Think about what you do every day or every week that leads to this.
Calls that were made
Sent proposals
Created content
Followed up on leads
Step 3: Set Your Inputs as Goals
Make acts into commitments that can be measured:
“I will call 15 people who might be interested every day.”
“I’ll send three proposals a week.”
“I’ll post one reel and two carousels every week.”
Step 4: Keep track and think about it
Inputs = what you celebrate ✅
Outputs are feedback, not failure.
You stay in charge and learn from the process this way.
Example of a Case: The Change of a Solopreneur
Let me tell you a story from my own coaching experience.
I worked with a solopreneur who had a creative business. From the outside, everything seemed to be doing well—good designs, a few dedicated customers, and a lot of promise. But inside, things felt heavy.
His stores were full of unsold goods, which meant he couldn’t get his hands on any cash. There were times when the money came in, like one excellent month followed by two dismal ones. And he was highly frustrated & very stressed.
His goals showed how crazy things were:
“I have to achieve revenue of Rs. 20 Lakhs this quarter.”
“I need to reach 50,000 followers on Instagram this month.”
Both sounded right, but they were both targets for output. It’s not surprising that he felt stuck.
We changed her focus to inputs:
Posting three times a week to keep his brand in the public eye.
Setting aside time every day for tasks that make money, such as calls, proposals, meetings and referrals.
Setting up a method to reduce old stock and generate some cash.
At first, it was bizarre. He was used to judging success by how much money he made and how many clients he had. But he quickly got used to the new rhythm. Every post that went up, every follow-up call that was made, and every piece of inventory that was sold was a tiny victory.
And the results came. In a few months:
Less inventory and more operating capital.
The flow of clients became steady instead of unpredictable.
Most importantly, he went to bed each night feeling good about himself because he had done what was important.
👉 He changed his business from a state of panic to one of growth based on confidence.
Why This Change Is Important for Business Owners
This change of thinking makes everything different:
No Stress Progress: You can’t control what happens, but you can control what you do.
Consistency Compounds: Over time, small, steady activities add up to enormous outcomes.
You stop wondering, “What if I fail?” when you have more confidence. Then add, “I did the work.”
Frameworks from outside that back this method
I’m not the only one that teaches this. Some of the most respected mentors and systems back it up:
Deepak Kanakaraju’s goal-setting framework stresses the importance of breaking big goals down into daily tasks.
De Mantraa’s brain performance coaching illustrates how focusing on things you can control rewires your brain so you can think clearly and be strong.
Key Points
Most business owners fail at defining goals because they go after results they can’t control.
You can always control the inputs, which are acts you take every day.
This change lowers stress, increases discipline, and makes progress more predictable.
FAQ: Setting Goals for Business Owners
Q1: What are the differences between goals for input and output?
Ans: You have control over the inputs. Outputs are results that are affected by things outside of the system.
Q2: What is the main reason that most entrepreneurs don’t set goals?
Ans: They only set objectives based on results, which makes them angry when things don’t go as planned.
Q3: How do goals based on input help businesses do well?
Ans: They create habits and consistency, which add up to results that are easy to guess over time.
Q4: Should I quit making objectives for my output?
Ans: No. Use them as your vision, but every day, pay attention to the inputs.
Q5: What are some input goals that solopreneurs can have?
Ans: Ten calls a day
Three follow-ups for each lead
A blog post per week
2 events for networking every month
Free Resource
👉 Are you ready to reset your objectives the right way?
Get my Goal Setting Blueprint for Entrepreneurs, which is a step-by-step guide that will help you stop chasing outcomes and start creating everyday habits that will help you succeed.
Who Wrote This
The Solopreneur Evolution Ascent (SEA) Hub is founded by Parind A Sarmalkar. He has been a corporate leader for 35 years and a consultant & coach for solopreneurs for 4+ years.
He helps business owners gain clarity, create systems, and gain independence.
His method combines tried-and-true business models, tactics for improving brain performance, and real-world experience to help solopreneurs thrive without getting tired.