As we head into a new year, goal setting becomes a major focus for a lot of people. New planners. New vision boards. New revenue targets.
Most of those goals sound something like this:
“I want to make $300,000 this year.”
“I want to double my income.”
“I want to grow my business.”
There is nothing inherently wrong with those goals. The problem is that they are what I call me goals.
Me goals are centered entirely around you. And while they might motivate you internally, they rarely inspire anyone else to care, support, or actively help you achieve them.
That is where we goals come in.
The Problem With “Me Goals”
When you tell people a me goal, the response is almost always the same.
“Oh, that’s great.”
“Good luck.”
“Let me know when you hit it.”
There is no emotional buy in. No shared ownership. No reason for anyone else to feel connected to the outcome.
If you are a coach, consultant, or creative, especially someone whose success is directly tied to the success of your clients, this approach leaves a lot of leverage on the table.
You are asking people to support a goal that only benefits you.
What a “We Goal” Actually Looks Like
A we goal shifts the focus away from your personal outcome and onto the collective outcome of the people you serve.
Let’s use a simple example.
Imagine you are a coach or consultant who helps people generate revenue or build their businesses. On average, your compensation ends up being around 10 percent of what your clients generate. Sometimes it is more. Sometimes it is less. But for simplicity, let’s use 10 percent.
Instead of saying:
“I want to make $300,000 this year,”
You reframe it to:
“I want to help my clients collectively generate $3 million this year.”
The math works out the same. Ten percent of $3 million is $300,000.
You still hit your me goal. But you do it by focusing on a we goal.
Why “We Goals” Create Buy In
Here is where the real shift happens.
When you frame your goal around helping others win, people can feel themselves inside the goal.
If I tell someone I want to make $300,000, there is nothing in that statement for them.
If I tell someone I want to help 15 or 20 clients collectively generate $3 million, the response changes.
People start saying things like:
“I want to be part of that.”
“I want to contribute to that.”
“I want to be one of those clients.”
Now your goal is no longer just yours. It becomes something others are emotionally invested in.
Alignment Is the Hidden Advantage
Another powerful benefit of we goals is alignment.
Each person you are serving still has their own me goal.
They want to grow their revenue.
They want to scale their business.
They want to reach a personal milestone.
When your we goal is built around helping them hit those goals, everything lines up.
They are working hard to achieve their own outcomes, and at the same time, they are contributing to the collective goal you set. Without forcing it. Without pressure.
You now have a group of people moving in the same direction, not because you asked them to help you, but because helping themselves also helps you.
Why This Makes Growth Easier
When goals are framed the right way, support becomes natural.
You no longer have to convince people to care about your success.
They care because your success is tied to theirs.
This makes conversations easier.
It makes partnerships easier.
It makes selling easier.
It makes asking for support easier.
You are not chasing people to buy into your aspirations. You are inviting them into a shared outcome.
Bringing It All Together
Me goals are not bad. They are just incomplete.
We goals give your ambitions context.
They create alignment.
They invite participation.
They turn your clients, partners, and community into active contributors instead of passive observers.
If you are heading into the new year setting goals, especially as a coach, consultant, or creative, ask yourself this simple question:
“How can I frame this goal around the success of the people I serve?”
Chances are, if they win, you will too.
If you want a deeper breakdown of this concept, I wrote a full guide expanding on this idea. You can find the link near this post, or comment “goals” and I will send it directly.
And as always, if you have questions, feel free to reach out.
