Do you have your goals set for this New Year?
Business goals help you gauge your success and hopefully help you stay motivated to during both, the easy and hard road towards reaching those goals.
Some people think the planning stage is drudgery but even we Quick Start entrepreneurs have specific goals in mind.
To me, not having goals is the equivalent to being on a hamster wheel.
No thank you! As for me, I savor both, the journey as well as the intended outcome. Which is why I am writing today about goals.
If feels as EVERYONE speaks of goals mid-December into early January.
Espousing “you should do this” or “you should that”. Advising you to think BIG dont think small, etc. etc.
I’ve never done well with that type of egagement (more about that some other day)so, I thought I would talk about how I go about creating goals for my business and those of my clients.
I always start by carving out time to think, contemplate about what I want to accomplish in my business and take care to make sure I’m not making any of these misteps in my goal-setting process.
This got me thinking. Goals are good. What’s better though is modifying the behavior we have around goals. So let me share with you the top 5 I often see…
1. Procrastinating. You don’t need to wait until January 1st to set your goals. Try setting **quarterly goals** instead. If the idea seems overwhelming, set a timer for 30 minutes on your phone and and start mapping one of your goals on paper. Just one.
2. Not prioritizing. You can probably brainstorm dozens of goals that you want to achieve but having too many will distract you from the most important ones. Business goals are meant to help you **focus**, not get distracted; so break your goals down into more managible steps and place the most important ones at the top of the list.
3. Being too vague. Saying you want to “make more money” is way too vague!! Moreover, you don’t have any way to measure if you’re reaching that goal. “More money” could mean an extra $100 per month or perhaps an extra $10,000 per month. Which would you rather see? Be as specific (specific is terrific) as possible with your goals so you can track your progress.
4. Setting goals that are too lofty or ambitious. Uggg, okay sure, you should dream big when envisioning the lifestyle you want but if you set a goal of making six figures this year when you haven’t reached the $50K mark, (Truth Bomb Alert) I have to report to you that six figures most likely won’t happen – at least not this year! Be realistic about your goals and break down those big hairy scary goals into smaller, more achievable goals. It might take you two or three years to reach six figures but it’s not impossible and it will stick!
5. Not working on your goals daily. Dear reader, this is perhaps THE biggest mistake of them all. Every task you undertake should lead you toward your goal. Please reread that sentence again. – If you’re still doing the busy work or the behind-the-scenes admin work rather than working the Money Generating Activities (MGA), consider hiring a (virtual) assistant. Outsourcing the necessary busywork will free up your time to get creative and focus on your book, next course, or upcoming webinar. Yes, you’ll have to pay your VA but you’ll still end up making SO MUCH more money in the end because you’re solely focused on your MGA’s.
Finally, remember you’re running a business, then be sure to run it like a business – not as a hobby. So, be sure to visualize where you want to see your small business in one year from now.
Start by asking yourself:
What goals do you need for that intention or dream to actually happen?
What action steps do I need to take every day to make those goals a reality?t
Bonus:
Write them down.
