One Goal, Emotional Charge, Zero Negativity: Goal Setting From Rock Bottom
Don’t get gassed up without a target
Welcome to Rock Bottom doesn’t end on vibes. After the fire-within talk comes structure: parameters for goals so the rebuild has a destination.
Four rules
- Size is yours. As big or as small as you want — your goal, not ours.
- Emotional charge. Strong enough to pull you out of bed, change your diet, get you into the gym, make you become a better person. “I want a million dollars” with no charge doesn’t move you.
- No negativity. Not “I don’t want pain,” “I don’t want to sit on the bench,” or “I don’t want to land on my shoulder.” Those keep the wound in the sentence.
- One goal. One objective. One focus. One point of obsession. Don’t tap multiple channels at once.
Examples from the whiteboard (athletes + everyday life)
- I’m going to run 5 kilometres comfortably by the end of the year.
- I’m going to land my first backflip within the next 12 weeks.
- I’m going to wake up every morning and stick to my rehab plan for 30 days.
- I’m going to chase my little one through the park for 15 minutes and be present (within 3 months) — reframed from “without thinking about my knee.”
- I’m going to spend one full day at the zoo — 10k steps — in summer 2026 with my family.
Pattern: measurable outcome + time component. You either did it or you didn’t.
Same rules, different stakes
Whether you’re chasing a backflip with Coach Matt, a season return, or presence with your kids after a knee injury — Episode zero’s rules don’t change. Athletes and everyday patients need the same concrete: one emotionally charged, positively framed goal.
Homework before Episode one
- Write one goal starting with “I am going to…” that passes all four rules — then write why it matters on a deeper level.
- Answer honestly: if nothing changes, where does this path lead in 12 months?
- Watch the full Brick By Brick chapter below (email unlock) and apply the four bricks from the episode.
Related reading
No one is coming to save you · Suffer twice · Loss as a gift
Next chapter cluster: What injury steals beyond the body (Week 2)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four goal rules from Episode zero?
1) As big or small as you want — it’s your goal. 2) Emotional charge strong enough to pull you out of bed. 3) No negativity in the wording. 4) Exactly one goal — one point of obsession.
Why ban negativity in goals?
“I don’t want pain” or “I don’t want to sit on the bench” keeps the wound in the centre. Reframe toward what you’re moving toward — e.g. chase your child through the park for 15 minutes and be present.
What makes a goal measurable enough?
In the episode: a clear outcome you either hit or don’t (5K, first backflip, 30 days of rehab, a full day at the zoo) plus a time frame.
Watch the full chapter
Welcome to Ground Zero | The Real Starting Point of Recovery
Enter your email to unlock this Brick By Brick chapter. You’ll join the free 7-week accountability sequence — one lesson at a time — and can rewatch anytime from this browser.
Brick By Brick
Enter your email to unlock this video
You’ll also join the free 7-week Brick By Brick email sequence — one chapter at a time, so you stay accountable.
