Setting Goals

What do some of the best American Bully breeders have in common?

As should be obvious by the title of this post... GOALS!

They don't just set a goal and go about life forgetting it. They write those goals down and read them every day. They enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. They're lives revolve around accomplishment.

Lemme tell you about the "95/5 principle" I learned about in my early years of breeding. This is a principle that applies to any career, really. 5% of American Bully breeders will obtain 95% of the awards. Whether those be Best in Show trophies or the ability to support your family working with these dogs.



5% is a small number... So how can you reach that 5%? How can you avoid becoming like the other 95%, many who are mostly backyard breeders anyways?

GOALS!

Find out what you really want out of being an American Bully breeder. Make some short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Maybe you'll compete in a show in the next 30 days. Maybe you'll have a Champion in the next 6 months. Maybe you'll be the number one breeder of <enter bloodline here> in the next 3 years. If you don't know what your goals are, how can you expect to accomplish anything?

Sit down, get a piece of paper, get a pen or pencil. Before you start writing, close your eyes and imagine where you want to be. Do you have a trophy room just for your dogs? Or a new shiny car bought with the money you earned through hard work and dedication?



Once you know WHERE you want to be, think about HOW you're going to get there. It's easy to dream up of what we want from our future, but it means nothing if we're not actively working to get better. Trust me, the mindset I had 10+ years ago as a dumb newbie is completely different than today, and you'll notice that too when you start to follow your goals.

Now, I'm not usually one for negative self-talk. My therapist told me that was bad! But, sometimes it can be helpful. Sometimes telling yourself that you're not happy with your current situation is the kick to your head that makes you take action. When I told myself I hated my boring cubicle job and wanted to do nothing but work with dogs for a living, that was the kick that made me get up and buy my first American Bully pups.



Read through your goals every day, every week, every year. Watch how far you've come from the beginning. Never forget where you're trying to go in life. When you see how close you are to accomplishing your goals, it makes continuing much easier.

Goals, drive, focus. This is what it takes to be the top 5% of American Bully breeders.

Any questions you can shoot me at bigbullybucks@gmail.com