Earl Shoaff’s Goal Setting Method: Why Writing “Thank You” Could Change Your Life
I stumbled on Earl Shoaff many years ago, and something captured my attention regarding his simple style of goal setting. There is great power in simplicity as seen in all fields of life and goal setting is no exception.
According to legendary businessman and mentor Earl Shoaff, people may have the ambition to achieve their goals but fall short. Why? It is because most people only use part of the process. Shoaff believed there are laws that govern success just as surely as gravity governs the physical world. You don’t need to understand every detail of those laws for them to work, but you do need to apply them correctly.
His goal-setting method is surprisingly simple, yet it has influenced thousands of successful people, including his famous student, Jim Rohn.
Success Follows Laws
Shoaff began by explaining that the universe operates according to laws. Gravity works whether you believe in it or not. Electricity rewards correct use and punishes misuse. Success, prosperity, love, and peace also operate according to principles.
Many people experience occasional success because they accidentally apply some of these principles. They achieve one or two goals while many others never materialize, and they assume goal setting simply works “sometimes.”
Shoaff disagreed. He believed success could become much more predictable when the entire process was followed.
Think Like a Farmer
One of Shoaff’s favorite illustrations was farming.
A farmer doesn’t expect a harvest without planting seeds first. If you plant tomato seeds, you harvest tomatoes. If you plant watermelon seeds, you won’t grow oranges. The same principle, he argued, applies to the mind. Your thoughts become mental seeds, and those seeds eventually produce results in your life.
Many people focus only on the harvest. They want wealth, success, better relationships, or improved health, but they neglect the planting stage. Without planting correctly, there can be no consistent harvest.
The First Mistake Most People Make
Shoaff believed most people set vague goals.
Someone might write:
- I want more money.
- I want a better house.
- I want a nicer car.
To him, these aren’t goals. They are wishes.
If someone asked for “a Cadillac,” that could mean hundreds of different models. Do they want a new one or an old one? A sedan or a convertible? What color? What features?
The mind responds to clarity. The clearer the picture, the stronger the mental seed becomes.
Define Exactly What You Want
Shoaff encouraged people to become incredibly specific.
Instead of writing: “I want a new car.”
Describe it completely.
What make is it?
What model?
What color?
What interior?
What options?
The more clearly you define your desire, the easier it becomes for your subconscious mind to create a vivid picture. Writing isn’t just about making a list. Writing forces the mind to see.
The Power of Visualization
Shoaff believed visualization wasn’t simply daydreaming. It was creating such a clear mental image that your subconscious accepted it as a genuine destination.
Interestingly, he observed that people naturally visualize negative situations far more vividly than positive ones.
Someone who feels sick can describe every ache in detail. Someone who had a bad business day can explain every disappointment.
Yet when life is going well, many simply say, “I’m fine.”
Shoaff argued that if people used the same emotional energy to picture success, opportunity, health, and prosperity, they would begin directing their minds toward those outcomes instead of constantly rehearsing problems.
Write “Thank You”
This is the part of Earl Shoaff’s method that many people have never heard. After you have clearly written your goal and described exactly what you want, he advised writing two simple words at the bottom of the page:
Thank You.
Because saying “Thank You” represents acceptance. It is an act of faith that says:
“I receive this.” or “I believe it is already on its way.”
Instead of worrying about how it will happen, you acknowledge it with gratitude before seeing the result. For Shoaff, gratitude was not the reward after success. It was part of the planting process.
Put the Paper Away
Once your goal has been written, fully described, and finished with “Thank You,” Shoaff instructed people to fold the paper and put it away.
Do not carry it around. Do not keep unfolding it every day. Do not constantly check whether it is working.
He compared this to planting a seed as no farmer digs up a seed every afternoon to see if roots have started growing.Doing so only prevents growth.
Your written goal should be treated the same way. Plant it mentally, then leave it alone.
Don’t Ask “How?”
Shoaff believed one of the biggest enemies of success is constantly asking:
How will this happen? Where will it come from? When will it arrive?
These questions introduce doubt. Instead, when thoughts of your goal return to your mind, simply respond with:
“Thank You.”
Then let the thought go. According to Shoaff, the subconscious continues working long after the conscious mind has stopped thinking about the goal.
Expect Good Things
One of the natural results of this process, Shoaff believed, is expectancy. When you genuinely expect something good to happen, your posture changes.
Your attitude improves. You speak differently. You notice opportunities that previously escaped your attention. Optimism becomes a natural consequence of believing your future is moving toward something worthwhile.
Plant More Than One Seed
Shoaff didn’t recommend focusing on only one dream. He encouraged people to plant many mental seeds. Some could involve finances. Others could involve relationships. Some could focus on health, peace of mind, personal growth, generosity, or becoming a better person.
Life is richer when multiple areas are growing at the same time.
Be Careful What You Plant
One of Shoaff’s strongest warnings was about negative thinking. People often spend enormous amounts of time imagining failure. They replay bad conversations. They expect disappointment. They rehearse fear.
In his view, these are simply negative seeds being planted. Fortunately, he believed thoughts can be replaced. Whenever a negative idea appears, choose a better one.
Replace fear with confidence.
Replace lack with abundance.
Replace resentment with love.
The mind cannot hold two conflicting thoughts with equal attention at the same moment.
Encourage Big Dreams in Others
Shoaff also challenged parents and mentors. When children dream big, adults often respond with doubt.
He believed these results into statements become which become negative seeds planted in young minds. Instead, he encouraged speaking possibility into people.
Tell them they are capable.
Tell them they can learn.
Tell them they can grow.
Positive expectations often become self-fulfilling.
…And adults are only grown children, we just happen to be older than younger children. Same applies to adults.
Final Thoughts
Whether you agree with every aspect of Earl Shoaff’s philosophy or simply appreciate its motivational value, one lesson remains remarkably practical. Most people never become truly clear about what they want. They spend years hoping instead of defining.
I have personally used this method and noticed its efficacy… even when you just keep doing your thing, it just happens. And in one instance, it happened faster than I had expected.
Shoaff’s process encourages intentionality:
- Decide exactly what you want.
- Write it down in detail.
- Create a vivid mental picture.
- End your written goal with “Thank You.”
- Fold the paper and put it away.
- Resist the urge to constantly question how it will happen.
- When the goal comes back to mind, simply say “Thank You” again and continue moving forward.
Like a seed planted in fertile soil, worthwhile goals require patience as well as action. The farmer doesn’t expect fruit overnight, but because he trusts the process, he continues tending the field while the unseen work takes place beneath the surface.
Perhaps that’s the greatest lesson from Earl Shoaff’s timeless message: success begins long before the harvest. It begins with the seeds you choose to plant in your mind.