Learning to set, keep, and fulfil your goals is essential to running your business. I am convinced that sales, planning, and marketing will go nowhere without a solid plan and goals to see you through. Goals will provide direction and a clear vision. People without goals will face difficulties in seeing the big picture of their success and will not be able to stay focused. I don't want this to be you. What I do want is for you to be able to build a bridge that can help you from where you are in your business now and where you want to be in future.
Five Steps to Setting Goals
Here are four steps that I return to often when looking for ways to improve my business and move forward.
Step 1: Begin with a Dream
The first step of setting goals is about dreaming about everything that you need to accomplish in your business. Your dreams will not need to be realistic at this point, so you should avoid limiting your thinking process to what you dream may actually become possible. Now, is the perfect time for you to consider every possibility because there are no boundaries to your aspirations. Start by writing your thoughts of where you want to see your business after five years on a piece of paper. You should not worry about how you will get there, just write down your every thought and possibility big or small.
Step 2: Consider Every Possibility
After writing down the possibilities, now it is the time to mull over every one of them. Repeat them to yourself inside your head. Write them down. Share them with a friend. You will find that during this exercise you will discover even more possibilities and opportunities for growth. After you've discovered which goals you would like to work on, try to focus on a significant idea and make an outline of what you think can be a part of the success of that goal. Use elements like word maps, thinking (or "bubble") maps, graphic organizers, or anything that will help you to conceptualize your plans.
Step 3: Sort your Options
In this step you will need to start sorting all your ideas and possibilities of your business which you have written down. It is very important for you to sort your ideas in some categories of importance. Place the most practical and useful ideas at the top of your list, and everything else goes below. Then, do what's always best to do on paper - RIP IT! Rip off anything that didn't make your top ten. Your top ten is what you're going to be focused on from now on. These are the goals you will live, breathe, eat, and sleep with until you've reached and exceeded them.
Step 4: Create a Plan to Focus on
By now you will have a list of specific, attainable, time based, and relevant goals. Begin with the first goal you've written down and elaborate on your process to fulfill it. Once you've done this for all your goals, DON'T WAIT! Start working on them right away. Don't feel like you have to rush through your list: move on to the second goal once the first one has been reached. Finish all of the items outlined in your goal before moving on. You'll find that being able to focus on what item (rather than several all at once) will help you a great deal. And finally...
Step 5: Celebrate
After you've completed your first goal - tell the world about it! Don't be shy, you've just done a great thing. Share it on your website, social media, and in-person to anyone who's interested. You'll not only get the word out about your business, but people LOVE it when others are in a good mood - because it's contagious! You'll most likely gain a new follower intrigued by what you're going to do next. So, what are you waiting for? Start dreaming!
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