We all have dreams and goals. Some of them are simply wishes, like starting a new venture and be a business owner, winning the lottery or sailing to Tahiti. But we also have goals that are vital to our futures and the well-being of our families. And yet many of us make little or no progress toward achieving our most important goals. We wait and hope, but get no closer to our dreams.
It doesn't have to be that way! We all know people who soar from one project to another, achieving their goals and living the life they want. How do they do it?
You’re an ambitious entrepreneur. You have big dreams and goals for the new year. You may even have so many things planned for 2013 for growing your company that you’re not sure how you’re going to get it all done.
You’ve already been working hard, insane hours maybe, putting in lots of face time with people who can help you grow.
Start from here
1. Clarity of purpose. For a dream to become a goal, it must be specific. While it's fun to dream about being rich, it takes courage and hard choices to decide exactly how much money you want and how you are going to earn it. Being "thin" is an image; losing 23 pounds by your birthday is a goal. In life, we probably can't have it all. You can lose 23 pounds, or you can have the cake and ice cream. Your choice. Be clear.
2. Commitment. There's a story from ancient Greece about a general who landed his troups on the beach, then burned his ships. He wanted each soldier to know there was no turning back, no retreat, no alternative to victory. Once your goal is clear, emotionally commit to achieving it. There are no alternatives.
3. Talk about it. This is called "accountability." Once you've defined your goal and committed yourself to achieve it, start talking about it! If you want to lose weight, don't blame your spouse for buying ice cream if he or she does't know and understand your goal! Talking about your goals makes them emotionally real and powerful. It allows people to help you reach your goal and support you along the way. Some people will also criticize or undermine you. Don't talk to them.
4. Write it down. This is basic, and one of the oldest, simplest and most powerful techniques for achieving any goal. Write it down! Describe precisely what you want, how you will earn it, when you will have it and the benefits you'll receive from achieving your goal. Write the details. Write the colors, the shapes and the dates.
5. Repeat it every day! Every morning, use a small card or a corner of your appointment book to record a short description of your goal where you will see it all day long. Don't carry the same card day after day! If your goal is worth anything, it's worth one minute of your time to write a simple sentence describing your dream and focusing on your priorities. Do this every morning.
6. Have a plan. Create a map for getting there. And put dates on it! A goal to retire at age 40 has no meaning without a savings and investment strategy. A goal to create your own business is just a fantasy without a plan to attract investors, find a location, hire staff and sell your goods or services. The beauty of a plan is that it shows you a path to your goal.
7. Take action every day! "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Any goal that is worthy of you is worth a few minutes of your time and some of your energy every single day. To write a novel, write a chapter this week. To open your own business, read a business magazine today. To create a more loving family, give someone a hug today. To be salesperson of the year, make a phone call right now!
8. Use constant affirmations. One of my clients is a PGA golfer. From the moment his ball lands on the green until he sinks the putt, he repeats over and over "I will make this putt!" He repeats that phrase as many as 200 times before every putt! Do you think he would be more, or less, successful if he spent those moments thinking, "I just hope I don't miss it"? Tell yourself what you want to hear!
9. Review, and re-commit, often. Never be afraid to review your goals, evaluate whether you are still 100% committed to them, and re-commit to achieving them. If your values or your choices have changed, change your goals accordingly, and be honest about it! And if your goal still fits, run to it with all your heart!
10. Celebrate each milestone! Never wait to have a party! Each deposit in your savings account deserves a checkmark on the calendar and a hug from your partner. Each day without a cigarette deserves a smile and congratulations from your loved ones. Every step toward your goal should be documented and celebrated! When you get discouraged or have doubts, your record of past successes will quickly get you back on track. Not sure about this? Ask any marathon runner whether they count each mile on their run to the finish line! Celebrate each and every milepost on your path to victory!
Start from here
Want to know the secret to growing a company year over year, without burning out? the secret is prioritization. And below, I’m going to break down exactly how this process works to improve goal setting, and more importantly, goal achievement.
Getting clear is the first step.
First, take out a sheet of paper or a blank document on your computer, and write out every single thing that you want to achieve in 2013 (and beyond). Whether you want to write a book, start new projects, land a deal with a sponsor or speak at certain events, write it all down.
Once you have a list of everything that you can imagine for your company in a the next few years, it’s time to prioritize. It helps to have everything written down so that you can see what’s more important to you and what’s going to move your company forward the most within the next year. Which brings us to step 2:
2. Rate your goals by profitability and what excites you the most.
Sometimes I get business ideas from well-meaning friends and family that seem great, but don’t fit. This prioritizing exercise allows you to clearly see what ideas don’t fit with what you want to create and achieve.
You can actually figure out what you want to take on for 2013, and what you don’t want to take on (because it’s someone else’s dream). I’ve definitely been caught in this trap before: taking on other people’s feedback and not checking in with myself.
3. Meet your new best friend: your calendar.
Now it’s time to choose those things that are the highest priority for you and your company and slot them into your calendar. I like to do this with a large wall calendar, so I can see all the months at a glance.
Schedule each of the projects and items that you want to achieve, month by month. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a given month and what steps it involves. (This also help you figure out what needs to happen first and second, so that everything lines up properly.)
Similarly, if you want to take on a sponsor for an event that you’re putting on, you might need to put together some of the event details first — like the date of the event, the audience size, and location — so you have time to attract and approach sponsors.
BONUS: With a calendar, you can’t overbook yourself or your team. It’s easy to say that your company can accomplish 15 different things in the next month, but when you’re actually looking at the number of days in a month and the number of months in a year, you need to be more realistic — a key part of the process.
4. Don’t forget to plan for life events, too.
So when you do step 3, don’t forget to take it one step further and write down any personal trips, holidays spent with family that you usually take off, or other personal events that you know about ahead of time. That way, you won’t be surprised when “real life” intervenes and you have less time to work.
Add more value to this article by adding your comment and this video will help to show you more on how you can set up a workable business goals
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