Why Gym Owners Have Goals Nobody Knows About (And Get Mad When They're Not Hit)

Years ago, I would set goals for myself and put them in a little box. Nobody would know what those goals were—not my team, not my managers, nobody.

And then I'd get mad at them when they didn't hit the goals.

They didn't know what the goals were. Wasn't that weird?

A lot of us do this. Maybe not quite as blatantly as I did, but we set goals in our heads, assume everyone knows what we're aiming for, and then wonder why we're not making progress.

This is why the 4DX process (Four Disciplines of Execution) revolutionizes organizations. It's not complicated. It's not mysterious. It's obviously easy. Yet we lack the discipline to make it happen.

The 20 Mile March

Jim Collins talks about a concept called The 20 Mile March. The whole idea is taking small bites over and over, being consistent about it.

As you build 4DX into your gym, you take small bites, create habits out of it, and this is how you revolutionize your organization. This is how you go from 2X to 10X. From one club to ten clubs. From ten clients to a thousand clients.

It's not about massive heroic efforts. It's about consistent, focused execution.

The Four Steps

Here they are. Very simple:

1. Focus on a Wildly Important Goal (WIG)

2. Act on Lead Measures

3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

4. Create a Cadence of Accountability

That's it. Four steps. 4DX is over. Have a great day.

Now let's go into the details, because some of you are thinking, "That's so simple. That's obvious. Why did you just say that?"

That's exactly the point. It's obviously easy, yet we lack the discipline at times to make this happen.

Step 1: Focus on a Wildly Important Goal

Not all goals are created equal. A WIG has specific characteristics that separate it from your typical to-do list.

What makes a goal "wildly important"?

It's a crucial, focused goal for the team. Crucial is the key word. It can't be "clean the toilets." It's got to be something that moves the business forward in a very dynamic way.

It's got to be bold and high impact. What does that mean? It pulls other aspects of your business up. Think of a boat creating a wake—a positive wake that brings everything else up with it.

Like finding a great team leader who elevates everybody around them. That's the kind of impact a WIG should have. Achieving it creates massive ripple effects throughout your organization.

The Characteristics of a Great WIG:

Clarity - Is it crystal clear, not just to you but to everybody else? This is key. Who cares if you have a goal if nobody knows what it is? We can't expect our teams to help us achieve something they've never heard of.

Measurable - You've got to be able to measure it. Numbers, metrics, data. Not vague aspirations.

Limited Number - You can't have 25 WIGs. You can't have a bulleted list of ten things. One WIG. If you've done this before and you're experienced, maybe two. But one is ideal.

Aligned with Mission - It's got to fit your organizational mission. If you don't have a mission, go back and create one first. The WIG should be an extension of where you're trying to take the business long-term.

Time-Bound - At Mastermind, we go six months at a time. Some people go a year. But six months is a good timeframe to get stuff done. It's long enough to accomplish something significant, short enough to maintain focus.

How to Choose Your WIG

You're going to come up with 3, 4, 5, 6 different ideas for your WIG. Here's how to narrow it down to the one:

Question 1: Will it make the largest impact on your overall business?

If the answer is no, throw it out. This is the filter you keep coming back to. Clean toilets can make an impact—absolutely. Maybe on your satisfaction scores. But will it make the LARGEST impact for your business, your team, your organization?

That's the one you want to keep asking in different ways, multiple times.

Question 2: Is it measurable?

Do you know when you've achieved it? The formula is: "Go from X to Y by when?"

Examples:

• "Go from $100,000 in revenue to $200,000 by the end of the year."

• "Go from 500 members to 750 members by October 30th."

• "Go from 50 PT clients to 100 PT clients in six months."

From X to Y by when. If you can't fill in those blanks clearly, it's not a good WIG.

Question 3: Is it realistic?

Is it realistic to double revenue in this particular location in this particular timeframe? If the answer is yes, keep it as a possible WIG. If the answer is no, throw it out.

Notice I said "realistic," not "easy." A good WIG should stretch you. It should require focused effort and execution. But it shouldn't be fantasy.

Realistic means: if we execute well, we can achieve this. Unrealistic means: even if we execute perfectly, the math doesn't work.

Why Most Gym Owners Fail at Goal Setting

The problem isn't that gym owners don't set goals. The problem is they set too many goals, make them too vague, don't communicate them, and don't create accountability around them.

They have goals in their head. Goals on sticky notes. Goals buried in a business plan from three years ago. But nobody on the team could tell you what the #1 priority is right now.

That's why WIGs work. They force you to choose. They force you to clarify. They force you to communicate. They force you to commit to a timeframe.

One goal. Crystal clear. Measurable. Realistic. Time-bound. Aligned with mission. Communicated to everyone.

The Foundation for Everything Else

The WIG is step one of the 4DX process for a reason. You can't act on lead measures if you don't know what you're measuring toward. You can't keep a compelling scoreboard if you don't know what score matters. You can't create accountability if nobody knows what they're accountable for.

Everything starts with choosing the right WIG.

Your Action Step

Before you move forward with the rest of 4DX, get clear on your WIG.

Brainstorm 3-6 possible goals. Run each one through the filters:

• Will it make the largest impact?

• Is it measurable (from X to Y by when)?

• Is it realistic?

Choose one. Make it crystal clear. Write it down. Share it with your team.

And stop putting your goals in a little box where nobody can see them.

Because here's the truth: if your team doesn't know what you're aiming for, they can't help you get there. And if you get mad at them for not hitting goals they never knew existed, that's not their failure. That's yours.

Choose your WIG. Communicate it clearly. Build everything else around it.

That's how you go from 2X to 10X. That's how you revolutionize your organization. That's how consistent, focused execution transforms your gym.