The key to getting big things done is to set up expectations through goal setting.

We all have goals we think about but never do. To stop thinking about goal setting and start getting them done, you need to first set up expectations for success. Setting expectations with the people around you is the key to motivating action.

Here’s how it works. I knew a guy once who wanted to roast a pig in the sand. He’d seen it done—the pit on the beach, the wood charred till smoldering, the stuffed pig wrapped in banana leaves and chicken wire and then lowered slowly down into the pit, covered, and watched for 24 hours until the meat became tender and fell off the bone.

One day, he started talking about it. He was a gambler, a professional bridge player actually, and suddenly, all he was talking about was the pig roast. When friends expressed skepticism, he’d just say, “Wanna bet?” A lot of friends said yes, and wagered he wouldn’t do it.

“How’s the pig roast going?” friends would ask.

“You just wait,” he’d say, and then he’d find someone else to take the bet. He didn’t care much about the money. He actually had plenty of money. It was more about building up expectations.  

I was just a kid at the time, and I remember thinking he would never do it. It was a lot of work, days and days of planning and executing. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get it done.

But then, one day, he started digging a pit on the beach. His friends came by to take a turn with the shovel. He figured out where to get a whole pig and how to dress it properly. The hardest part was finding banana leaves, but everyone helped him call around and he found those too.

Everyone who bet that he wouldn’t roast the pig was invited. The more people who bet, the more he put toward the party—lights, DJ, open bar on the sand. Paying the bet was a good price for an awesome pig roast party on the beach.

It was a powerful lesson about goal setting and what really motivates people to work hard. He stopped thinking and started talking. Simply by talking, he built expectations for himself, and suddenly, there was no other way for the summer to end. It’s like a story where you put a gun on the table at the beginning. It has to go off. If it doesn’t, you just disappoint people, and no one wants that.

Expectations are Powerful

Expectations are powerful, even when they are tacit. What our parents expect of us often creates a lifetime of achievement.

Many of us strive to be the person our partner, our kids, or even our dog thinks we are. It’s amazing what we will do to live up to expectations and avoid disappointing people. Many of us strive to be the person our partner, our kids, or even our dog thinks we are.

Every 5-year strategic plan, every start-up, every career change is like a pig roast. Chances are that you won’t make your goals unless you start talking and start setting up expectations for success. And if you set up the right expectations, you might just find that you succeed beyond what you even dared to dream.

Here are three easy ways to set up expectations that motivate:

  1. Tell everyone you can.  You’d be surprised how many people don’t bother to tell anyone about their big new project or idea. Talking about what you want to do, even if it is a moonshot, will give you visibility. Also, you’ll be surprised how many people will offer to help or pull alongside you, making your success more likely. 
  2. Create action steps with deadlines. This is a verified, time-tested coach tool. Make a list of the steps you need to take this week or this month or this quarter. If you can, make your list public and let people know when you are crossing something off.
  3. Celebrate the small steps. Every small step builds confidence brings you closer to your goal. Celebrating each one helps engage others and invest them in your success. They will cheer you on and encourage more progress. They might help out by taking a turn with the shovel, or by offering tips or connections that prove useful.

If you really want to get something done, try setting up expectations and see how your story ends.