Donald Deibler Adopts Written-Goal Policy to Manage Dual Food and Beverage Operations

Donald Deibler, a business owner based in Hegins, Pennsylvania, has adopted a personal policy that no goal counts unless it is written down first. The policy, which he applies to both his professional and personal life, involves setting yearly goals every January 1 and monthly goals at the beginning of each month, keeping both lists visible daily. This approach matters because it provides a structured method for managing multiple responsibilities, including his role as business manager of All Stars Ice Cream and Cafe Bakery and his support for his wife's ownership of Dead Horse Beer and Burritos.

Deibler's days rarely look the same twice, given the demands of running a bakery and cafe operation alongside supporting a second food and beverage business. A written goal serves as a constant reference point when schedules become chaotic. "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 simple act of writing goals down and keeping them in front of him ensures that intentions do not get buried in a notebook forgotten by February.

The policy operates on a straightforward hierarchy: the yearly goal is written in full on January 1, and each month a smaller, specific goal is added underneath it. These monthly goals are not mere copies of the yearly target but concrete steps toward it. Deibler describes handling moments of doubt by taking everything one task at a time, breaking big yearly targets into monthly pieces so they never feel overwhelming. He measures success by accomplishing goals and exceeding past performance, checking his own list against his own results rather than relying on an external scorecard.

This written-goal habit extends beyond one business. Deibler manages All Stars Ice Cream and Cafe Bakery and supports Dead Horse Beer and Burritos, meaning two sets of goals run simultaneously, sometimes overlapping. He credits his family, including his parents and siblings, 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 of any. The same discipline appears in his community involvement, such as local youth sports donations and volunteer coaching, which also depend on a calendar rather than good intentions.

Deibler is direct about what makes the policy work. "Hard work and a positive attitude," he said, are the qualities he considers most important. Neither appears on a to-do list, but both determine whether the list gets finished. He also gauges success "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.

Deibler graduated from Pine Grove High School in 2011 and from Albright College in 2015 with a degree in Music Business. His policy underscores a broader implication: for entrepreneurs juggling multiple ventures, formalizing goals in writing can be a practical tool for maintaining focus and measuring progress on one's own terms.