Donald Deibler, a Pennsylvania business owner, has formalized a personal policy that could offer a blueprint for entrepreneurs juggling multiple ventures: no goal counts unless it is written down first. The approach, which Deibler applies to his role as business manager of All Stars Ice Cream and Cafe Bakery and his support of his wife's ownership of Dead Horse Beer and Burritos, highlights a disciplined method for maintaining focus amid the unpredictable demands of the food service industry.
Every January 1, Deibler sets yearly goals; at the start of each month, he adds smaller, specific objectives. These lists remain visible and actively shape his daily decisions. "I like to set yearly goals every January 1st and monthly goals at the beginning of every month," Deibler said. "I keep these in the back of my mind daily." The policy's simplicity belies its challenge: the real test is follow-through.
For Deibler, the written goal is a practical anchor. Running a bakery and cafe while supporting a second food and beverage business means no two days are alike. "By taking everything one task at a time," he said, describing how he handles moments of doubt. A large yearly target is broken into monthly steps, preventing it from becoming an overwhelming single task. He measures success plainly: "By accomplishing your goals and exceeding past that." There is no external scorecard; he checks his own list against his own results.
The monthly goal is not merely a smaller version of the yearly one but a specific step toward it. On January 1, the year's goal is written in full. On the first of each month, a smaller, specific goal is added underneath. Daily, both remain visible enough to guide choices. When asked about continued growth, Deibler said, "By setting new goals." The policy assumes no endpoint; one goal closes and another opens.
The standard applies across both businesses. Deibler manages All Stars Ice Cream and Cafe Bakery, and supports his wife's ownership of Dead Horse Beer and Burritos. Two operations mean two sets of goals running simultaneously, sometimes overlapping. He credits his family for shaping his approach. "My family, including my parents and siblings," he named as his biggest influence. Growing up with five siblings in Donaldson, Pennsylvania, taught him early how to divide attention across multiple priorities without losing track.
Outside the businesses, the same habit informs his community commitments. Deibler has stayed involved with local youth sports donations and volunteer coaching, work that also runs on a calendar rather than good intentions alone.
Deibler is direct about what makes the policy succeed. "Hard work and a positive attitude," he said, are the most important qualities. Neither appears on a to-do list, but both determine whether the list gets finished. He also gauges success by a personal standard: "By my own standards," whether evaluating a monthly bakery goal or a longer-term plan for the burrito business.
The written-goal habit is not a marketing device but the same operating rhythm Deibler has used across both businesses for years, now made explicit for anyone who asks how he keeps two food and beverage operations moving in the same direction without losing sight of either one. For other entrepreneurs, the implication is clear: writing down goals may be the difference between intention and accomplishment.
