Stop Planning the Whole Journey: Focus on Your Next Checkpoint

Two weeks ago, I got to live out a dream that started six years ago.

I spoke at Funnel Hacking Live.

Six years earlier, I was sitting in the audience at that same event. I had just sold my lighting business and honestly wasn't completely sure what I was going to do next.

I remember watching people on stage share their stories, talk about the communities they had built, and teach what they had learned.

And I thought:

Man, I wonder if I could do that.

Could I build a community for the outdoor lighting industry?

Could I help business owners grow?

And then another thought crossed my mind:

How cool would it be to speak on that stage someday?

Six years later, I did.

I stood on that stage in front of about 2,000 people.

And yes... I was freaking nervous. :)

But standing there made me realize something important.

Six years ago, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to get there.

Landscape Lighting Secrets wasn't figured out.

Lighting for Profits didn't exist.

Light It Up Expo didn't exist.

Lighting Academy didn't exist.

I didn't have some perfectly mapped-out six-year plan showing me exactly what I needed to do.

I just started moving.

Stop Trying to Figure Out Everything

I think this is where a lot of entrepreneurs get stuck.

They have a huge goal:

"I want a $1 million lighting business."

"I want a $5 million business."

"I want a team that runs without me."

"I want more freedom."

Those are great goals.

But then they look at the distance between where they are today and where they want to be.

And suddenly, the goal feels impossible.

Here's the problem:

You're trying to figure out the entire journey before you even take the next step.

You don't need to.

Instead, create checkpoints.

If you want to build a $5 million business but haven't reached $1 million yet, why are you worrying about everything that needs to happen at $5 million?

Get to the next checkpoint.

Ask yourself:

• What needs to happen this quarter?

• What needs to happen this month?

• What needs to happen this week?

• What needs to happen today?

Then focus on that.

Think in Checkpoints

I've started thinking about goals differently because of this.

I want my daily checkpoints to lead to my weekly checkpoints.

My weekly checkpoints lead to my monthly checkpoints.

My monthly checkpoints lead to my quarterly checkpoints.

And eventually, those checkpoints lead to the big goals that once seemed impossible.

Daily → Weekly → Monthly → Quarterly → Yearly

That's it.

You don't have to know every step.

You just need to know where you're going next.

You Don't Know What's Waiting for You

And here's another exciting part.

You don't even know what opportunities are waiting for you along the way.

Six years ago, I couldn't have predicted most of what I'm doing today.

I didn't know exactly what Landscape Lighting Secrets would become.

I didn't know Lighting for Profits would exist.

I didn't know about Light It Up Expo or Lighting Academy.

And I certainly couldn't have predicted that I'd eventually be standing on a stage in front of 2,000 people.

I just knew the direction I wanted to go.

That's enough.

You don't need to have everything figured out before you start.

Figure out your next checkpoint and take action.

Then, when you get there, set another one.

Make it fun.

Gamify it.

Keep moving.

Because one day, you might look up and realize you're standing inside a dream that once felt completely impossible.

I know because it just happened to me.

What's your next checkpoint?

Keep Moving Forward!
– Ryan Lee

# entrepreneurship journey, business success, goal setting strategy, business growth strategy, leadership, small business growth, entrepreneurial mindset, achieving big goals, daily goals, quarterly goals, business planning, taking action, motivation for entrepreneurs, business freedom, personal growth, Ryan Lee, Lighting for Profits #