When going into business, setting goals is an important thing. It helps you focus on what you want to achieve and motivates you to do what it takes to succeed. Reaching your first business goals is truly something to be celebrated don’t you think?
Once you’ve reached your goals, what’s left to do? Make new ones! Goals are most effective when they are continuously updated. They motivate us to keep challenging ourselves and achieve higher and higher levels of success.
How to Set Effective Goals
How to Set Effective Goals
Some small business owners make the mistake of setting goals that are too vague. While vague goals are more attainable, they do not provide the motivation that more specific goals do. For example, you might set a goal to have higher sales this month than you did last month. Whether your sales are ten cents or $1000 higher, you will have achieved your goal. But which one would be more preferable?
The best goals are ones that are measurable. The measurement doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary, though. It could be a percentage that you would like to increase your profits by next month, or a number of website visitors or mailing list subscribers you would like to reach in a certain amount of time.
Don’t Get Stuck in Your Comfort Zone
It’s a great feeling to meet your goals. It’s even better to meet them consistently. But if you are exceeding each and every one of your goals, it may be time to aim higher.
Failure is so scary to some that they set goals that they have a good chance of attaining instead of ones that might not materialize. But by doing so, they don’t motivate themselves as much as they could. And that may lead to not working up to their potential.
Instead of setting goals that you know you can achieve, consider stretching yourself a bit. Starting out small is fine if it makes you more comfortable. If you meet the slightly loftier goal, make the next one a little more ambitious, and continue this pattern with each goal that is reached. Before you know it, you will be in awe at what you are achieving!
Set Aside Time for Goal Setting
Running a business is hard work, and it’s not uncommon to get so caught up in day-to-day operations that we forget to make goals. But by skipping this crucial step, we miss out on an opportunity to evaluate how we are doing and give ourselves new things to aim for.
Setting aside a time to determine our goals is well worth the effort. Adjusting long-term goals and setting short-term ones at regular intervals is time well spent. A good time for goal setting is at the beginning or end of each month. But if those are busy times for you, choose a time you will find easier to stick with.
Setting new goals should be an ongoing process for every business owner. It is important to reward yourself for reaching goals, but it is equally important to continue to set new, higher ones. The more goals you reach and the higher they are, the more you can reward yourself.
If one of your goals is to learn new skills check out some of my upcoming training sessions at https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2/events-2/
Comments (0)
Aly Pain
Yes!! This is so important in business and in our personal lives, Wanda. And you are right, the two things I find my clients do most often is 1) set goals that are vague and not tangible/measureable and 2) they aim too small. I often challenge them on the difference between what is probable and what is possible. Probable is safe, already predictable and known. Possible is scary and juicy and expresses a real dream in their heart. The later is much more meaningful to aim for and creates the challenge that has them become more aware and more powerful. Thanks for posting this and reminding us to go big!
Wanda Baader
Aly, it’s so awesome that you are encouraging your clients to aim higher. It can be a leap of faith but with your help they are not alone. 🙂
Aly Pain
Yes!! This is so important in business and in our personal lives, Wanda. And you are right, the two things I find my clients do most often is 1) set goals that are vague and not tangible/measureable and 2) they aim too small. I often challenge them on the difference between what is probable and what is possible. Probable is safe, already predictable and known. Possible is scary and juicy and expresses a real dream in their heart. The later is much more meaningful to aim for and creates the challenge that has them become more aware and more powerful. Thanks for posting this and reminding us to go big!
Wanda Baader
Aly, it’s so awesome that you are encouraging your clients to aim higher. It can be a leap of faith but with your help they are not alone. 🙂
Lisa Hines
I would consider myself a goal-setter. Sometimes I hit them, and sometimes I don’t. I’m curious if you’ve read The Desire Map yet? I like her perspective on the feelings around the accomplishment of your goals. It’s helped me shift to settling into the good feelings I want to feel, rather than disappointment from not achieving goals, or glossing over the end goal.
I have currently decided that goals are not always meant to be achieved, but perhaps it’s the movement forward that and upward that we are meant to enjoy. What do you think?
Wanda Baader
Thanks Lisa. No, I have not read that particular book. I’ll have to put it on my list and check it out.
The great things about goals are that they give someone something to work towards that provides them with definition and purpose. Even if the goal is not initially achieved they can be redefined and revisited. Timing, circumstances and our experiences can change which may allow an unaccomplished goal to succeed at another time.
Lisa Hines
I would consider myself a goal-setter. Sometimes I hit them, and sometimes I don’t. I’m curious if you’ve read The Desire Map yet? I like her perspective on the feelings around the accomplishment of your goals. It’s helped me shift to settling into the good feelings I want to feel, rather than disappointment from not achieving goals, or glossing over the end goal.
I have currently decided that goals are not always meant to be achieved, but perhaps it’s the movement forward that and upward that we are meant to enjoy. What do you think?
Wanda Baader
Thanks Lisa. No, I have not read that particular book. I’ll have to put it on my list and check it out.
The great things about goals are that they give someone something to work towards that provides them with definition and purpose. Even if the goal is not initially achieved they can be redefined and revisited. Timing, circumstances and our experiences can change which may allow an unaccomplished goal to succeed at another time.
Jennifer Bourn
It is so easy to fall into the traps of setting goals you know you can achieve — those goals are easy and safe. I love that you’re encouraging people to get uncomfortable and set big goals that will make the stretch!
Jennifer Bourn
It is so easy to fall into the traps of setting goals you know you can achieve — those goals are easy and safe. I love that you’re encouraging people to get uncomfortable and set big goals that will make the stretch!