Goal Setting
Business
By: Becky Sill Independent LegalShield Associate www. beckysill. com
Goal Setting
I’ ve spent a lot of time in my professional life thinking about goals. What are they? How do you set them and more importantly how do you achieve them? If you’ ve been around goal setting training for any length of time you’ ve heard the saying,“ if it isn’ t written down, it doesn’ t exist” or“ a goal not written down is just a dream”! I must say from personal experience that I have found that to be true.
Try these steps to get you started.
1. What is your WHY? When your why is big enough, you can conquer any“ how” so write it down and keep it visible to keep you focused.
2. Write down S M A R T goals: As Yogi Berra says,“ If you don’ t know where you are going, you might end up somewhere else”.
Specific – Be very specific about your goal. I want more customers or I want to grow my business is not specific. I want to grow my customer base by 10 % is specific.
Measurable- I want to grow my customer base by 10 % by the end of first quarter is measurable. Attainable / Agreeable – Make sure it is attainable and everyone involved is on board.
Realistic / Relevant – Be real. 50 % customer growth in six months for a business that has only realized 3-5 % grown over a 5 year period may be attainable, but it is probably not realistic. Don’ t set yourself up for failure.
Time Bound – Set enough time to achieve your goal, but not so much time that you lose focus.
3. Take a look in the rearview mirror. Some may say not to dwell on the past, but focus on the future. I personally have found that if I don’ t know where I’ ve been or where I am, it’ s hard to plot the course for where I am going. What has worked, what hasn’ t. What are you good at, what do you enjoy? The time I spend reflecting on my business and taking inventory of where I spend my time helps me work smarter, not harder. Play to your strengths and manage your weakness. You can’ t be good at everything.
4. Now that you know where you are going, break it down. Rome wasn’ t built in a day. Outline the activities needed to achieve each one of the SMART goals. Quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily. Twenty calls a day is much easier to wrap your head around than 5200 calls / year.
5. Track your activity. This could very well be one of the most important steps in achieving your goal. Tracking takes time( I ain’ t gonna lie) but it is time well spent. It allows you to see how activity correlates with progress. What activities bring results and which ones don’ t.
For a more detailed look at goal setting and a guide to keep you on track, I recommend, Design Your Best Year Ever by Darren Hardy. HAPPY GOAL SETTING!
MOMENTUM / February 2017 27