GNT #132: High Agency Habit: Specific > General

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I’m an Enneagram 3 - The Achiever.

Which basically means I can turn a casual idea into a five-phase plan before I’ve even finished my coffee. I’ll rally a team around it by lunch. And by dinner, I’ll already be thinking about phase six.

Sounds productive, right?

Not always. In fact, I can be my own biggest roadblock.

I’m ambitious, creative, and relentless when there’s something to chase. But I’ve also been unpacking how much of that is tied to a value system that, if I’m not careful, can run me straight into burnout.

Because here's what I've learned about myself: when my Achiever side doesn’t have a specific target, it doesn’t slow down.

It just runs faster… in circles. 🤪

And these days, I’m old enough that taking my kids on the Tilt-A-Whirl makes me dizzy - so spinning in circles is not really something I enjoy anymore.

A few years ago, I started the year telling myself I wanted to “work less” and “build more scalable value.” Which, in Achiever-speak, translated to late nights, too many new projects at once, and chasing every shiny idea that looked scalable or smart on paper.

By April, I had plenty of activity… but no real traction. And, ironically, more anxiety than when I started.

Maybe you've felt this way too?

About that time I stumbled across George Mack:

"General ambition gives you anxiety. Specific ambition gives you direction."

So I got specific. “Work less” became “take Fridays completely off June through August + no meetings after 3pm on school days.” “Build more scalable value” became “structure + launch a 1:1 coaching offer by January as the first step toward a group program.”

And the result for me? Less noise. Less anxiety.

And real movement toward the kind of business and life I actually wanted - even while I was still figuring things out.

In today’s newsletter, we’ll talk about how you can do the same:

• Turn vague ambitions into concrete actions that move the needle
• Build a filter to kill “busywork” before it eats your week
• Create traction without sacrificing your health or sanity

By the end, you’ll have a framework to stop running in circles (get off the Tilt-A-Whirl) and start building momentum toward meaningful work, healthy profits, and more space in your life.

Let’s dig in.

Why vague goals keep you stuck

When your goal is something like “grow the business” or “work less”, your brain interprets it as: “Do everything, all at once.”

The problem is, without a clear target, every opportunity feels equally urgent. That’s how you end up saying yes to random projects, cramming your calendar, and exhausting yourself without actually moving forward.

This is what George Mack calls the “vague trap." It’s comfortable because you can’t “fail” at a vague goal… but you also can’t win.

Step 1: Define a finish line you can see

Specific goals are like installing GPS in your business. They don’t just tell you where you’re going, they make it obvious when you’ve arrived.

Instead of:
❌ Work less → ✅ Take Fridays completely off June through August and no meetings after 3pm on school days
❌ Build more scalable value → ✅ Structure and launch a 1:1 coaching offer by January as the first step toward a group program

Specificity forces you to decide what success actually looks like, and what you can stop doing.

Read more: GNT #074: New goal. Now what?
 

Step 2: Build a “direction filter”

Once you have specifics, you need a filter for what gets your time and energy.

Mine is simple: Does this get me closer to my finish line? If it’s not a yes, it’s a no. Not right now. Even if it’s a “good” idea.

Example:
When my focus became "launch my 1:1 coaching offer by January", I said no to attending a networking event in December that sounded fun but would’ve eaten a full day during a busy holiday month.

Every yes to something off-track is a no to the thing that matters most.

Read more: GNT #061: Buy back your time

Step 3: Make progress measurable (and painfully obvious)

Specificity is a natural accountability system. You can track steps per day, client proposals sent, margin on a product, whatever moves you closer to the target.

I kept a simple dashboard:

Friday taken off y/n (summer)
# days with no meetings after 3pm (school year)
% completion on my 1:1 coaching offer

I updated my dashboard numbers in my close-out-of-the-week meeting. If numbers aren’t on track, I see it immediately and know what to fix.

Takeaway

General ambition feeds anxiety.

Specific ambition builds direction, and direction compounds into momentum.

If you’re a founder or entrepreneur trying to create meaningful work, healthy profits, and space for your own well-being, you don’t need more goals.

You need clearer ones.

Here’s your 5-minute challenge for today:

1. Pick one vague ambition you’ve been carrying around.

2. Rewrite it into something specific enough that you’ll know when it’s done.

3. Build a tiny habit or metric to track it starting tomorrow.

So the next time your Achiever side starts spinning... you'll have a finish line - not just another ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

I’m always rooting for you. See you next week.

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If you liked this article, you might also like:

GNT #103: I Like Big Plans and I Cannot Lie
GNT #119: How to finish that thing you've been working on
GNT #089: The 4 Career Freedoms You Want

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