Business Marketing Magazine Summer 2017 January 2016 Creating Clear Businesses | Page 27

• Is this really my goal, or something that I
think is expected of me by my peers, family,
or society? The fact is that trying to live up to
other people’s expectations has caused more
stress and more burnout than almost any
other factor.
How did I come up with this goal? For example: My family and I decided together to work
to create or increase the size of our business.

• What will change in my life if I obtain my
goal? Always remember that there is a cost
that must be paid to achieve every goal.
Again, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

• When, where, and with whom do I wish to
attain my goal? For example: With my family’s
help, I expect to achieve my goal of producing
and selling X new units by the end of the year.
• What will happen if I obtain my goal? What
will happen if I don’t? Why is this important?
Note: This is particularly important because
the way we define the results of not attaining a goal are a large factor in how stressful a
goal becomes. It also determines how effective this goal will be in motivating you.
Obtain?
For example: If I achieve my goal, we will be
able to afford better schooling for our children. This is important because I want them
to have every opportunity for success.
Don’t Obtain?
For example: If I don’t achieve my goal, my
daughter will continue at her present high
school. An average high school, it should not
hold her back, but will not give her college
applications the ready acceptance that graduation from a top prep school could.

For the better?
For example: We will be able to afford to send
our children to better schools / colleges.
For the worse?
For example: We will have to sacrifice most
free evenings for the next X years to achieve
our goal. The average entrepreneur spends
up to 80 hours per week on their business.
Not surprising, this has often proven disastrous to marriages.
• How will I know when I have achieved it?
How will I measure my progress? (see step 3
from “Six Steps of Goal Setting”)

• Related to the above is the question of,
“How do I know if my goal is really worth
obtaining?” Did someone else tell me? How
do they know? For example: “Everyone says
it would be great to be a millionaire entrepreneur.” How do they know? Are they millionaires or even entrepreneurs? If so, are they
happy? (Many aren’t!) Why are they happy?
Did achieving this goal make them happy,
or were they happy before? For example: A
good education gave me the opportunities I
now have. I feel it is very important to provide the same quality education for my children.