In today’s edition, we explore why milestones can be more important than the big goals, especially in sales. Every year I remind myself: progress is built in steps, not in leaps. Inspired by David Goggins’ mindset lessons, we’ll break down how small wins, high standards, and brutal honesty drive sales growth.
Let’s dig in.
Every year, I like to pause and reflect – a lesson I took away from David Goggins’ book, Can’t Hurt Me. It’s a great opportunity to look back on what was achieved, what wasn’t, what was done well, and what can be improved.
And this year, I got to thinking…
In sales, we’re wired to chase the next big number, the next deal, the next finish line.
But what I’ve learned (and what David Goggins preaches) is this: if you don’t stop to track your milestones, you burn out.
You miss how far you’ve come. And worse you think you’re failing because that’s how it feels not being where you wanted to be. But the reality is that you’re actually growing.
In his book Can’t Hurt Me, Goggins teaches that most people only tap into 40% of their potential because they quit too soon. They don’t push far enough.
They miss the small wins because they’re obsessed with the finish line. But the small wins are what compound to take you to the finish line.
So growth isn’t just about the big goal. It’s about building a mentality where you measure progress and honour the small wins.
That’s how you build resilience. That’s how you stay in the game. That’s how you sell when it’s hard.
Now let’s look at why and how these milestones matter in sales:
In sales (and in life), focusing on milestones is a game-changer, because it reminds you of how far you’ve come, especially when it feels like you’ve been standing still.
Small wins build momentum.
Each meeting booked, each conversation had, each follow-up completed… these are wins. Stack and track them because they will build your confidence and progress.
Big goals without milestones feel overwhelming.
If your only target is the annual revenue number, you’ll feel like you’re losing most of the time. Break it down: weekly meetings booked, daily calls made, small targets hit.
Brutal self-reflection drives growth.
Goggins calls this the accountability mirror. Look into the mirror and be honest with yourself. What can you improve and how can you do better? Check your own performance honestly. Where did you quit early? Where can you step up?
Standards are more powerful than goals.
Goals are your desired outcomes. But standards are your behaviours. Now, it isn’t easy to control your goals because they are future outcomes – you can’t control what happens in the future after all. But you can control your behaviour – in other words, your standards. And if your standards are always high, they will compound over time, giving you a higher chance of actually reaching your goal.
How to Use Milestones in Your Sales Process: 4 Simple Moves
- Set daily activity targets.
Instead of focusing on revenue goals, focus on habits. Build up your routine so it becomes second nature – and the results will compound over time. - Track and celebrate weekly wins.
Review what you did well each week. Log the conversations, the new connections, the small progress points. You can also use that as a number you want to beat the next week. - Use visible scoreboards.
What gets measured gets managed. Track your pipeline milestones somewhere you can see them. This helps you stay aware of where you’re ahead, and where you’re slipping, which will keep you on track. - Do the accountability mirror.
Ask: Where am I falling short? Where am I coasting? Where can I push harder?
Again, the compound effect takes place. If you do all these things above, you’ll find:
- It builds resilience. You keep going because you see progress.
- It creates consistency. Daily standards become weekly wins.
- It taps into your untapped potential.
- It stops you from quitting when you’re closer than you think.
And each of these points will compound over time as well, only bringing you closer to the main goal.
So this is a reminder that time is moving, whether we like it or not. And it helps one realise that if you only focus on the finish line, you’ll miss how far you’ve come.
So here’s my advice: Celebrate your milestones. Track the small wins. Push your standards higher.
And remember what Goggins says:
“Nobody’s coming to save you.”
So put in the work and save yourself.
