When Goals Shrink, Results Grow
- roland00047
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
How focusing on just one simple goal often leads to better outcomes than long, overwhelming lists
We’ve all done it: mapped out big goals for the year, the quarter, or even just the week—and ended up buried in a to-do list that reads more like a wish list. More board engagement. More donors. More visibility. More structure. More everything.
But here’s the irony: the longer the list, the less likely we are to finish it.
It’s not about a lack of drive. It’s that complexity drains momentum. Every additional goal demands time, energy, meetings, updates, and mental bandwidth. At some point, the machine becomes too heavy to move.
So what if the answer isn’t more effort—but fewer targets?
One Goal = Real Focus
There’s power in one clear objective. Not five priorities, not a color-coded action plan—just a single point of clarity everyone can rally around. When the Friendship Circle narrowed its focus to one donor segment—those capable of investing in a new facility—they not only deepened relationships but also exceeded original campaign projections. Why? Because every conversation, strategy, and meeting had a shared center of gravity. Yes, they needed to do everything, but first, they needed a new campus. One goal gives your team breathing room—and a sense of direction.
💬 RELATED INSIGHT:
The same principle applies to storytelling. Fundraising campaigns with a single, powerful narrative often outperform those with multiple smaller narratives. Why? Because one story creates emotional clarity. It gives the audience something to care about and remember.
🛠 Simpler Goals = Smarter Solutions
When you choose one goal, you're forced to define what success looks like. Vague ambitions—“grow to fundraise” or “build the board”—suddenly require decisions: grow how, build who, and what does success actually mean?
Instead of “get the board more involved,” let's reframe the objective:
Get two board members to introduce us to three corporate contacts in the next month.
Suddenly, progress is trackable, support
is specific, and success feels achievable.
This is the basis of Moves Management.
You don’t need the full donor journey laid out from day one. You need the next right move.
One meeting. One update. One moment of connection.
Those consistent, intentional steps are what move relationships forward.
And always remember, a Move is an action, not a wish.
🧠 The Psychology of One
There’s neuroscience behind this. The brain can only hold a few priorities at once—and when we overload it, we default to urgent over important. Oh my, we’re so busy, we can’t even get through our in-box! It's such a typical trap. But a single clear goal? That gets past the noise. It sits front and center. It shows up in conversations, emails, decisions.
And here’s the secret: it creates a bias for action.
When everything matters, nothing moves. When one thing matters, it moves faster.
🌱 In Practice: What It Might Look Like
Starting with one anchoring goal keeps you moving—and avoids the spiral of indecision that comes from too many open loops. |
✅ Try This
Summer is the perfect time to plan, whether through a staff retreat or a board retreat. Take five quiet minutes today and ask yourself (or your team):
“If we could only accomplish ONE meaningful thing – one change - before Fall, what would it be?”
Write it down. Don’t overthink it. Make it specific, not perfect. Identify tactics. Set a deadline.
Then, start there—and let the rest follow.
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