GOAL SETTING

Goal setting is an integral part of starting and growing any business as they provide direction, motivation, and a means to measure your progress. They help guide you from where you are now to where you want to be. Without setting these goals, it can be difficult to see the bigger picture and to stay focused.

Research has shown that people with up-to-date written goals are as much as 3100% more successful than people who don’t. So, with that in mind, the below tips will help you start setting your goals.

1. Dream big

Start thinking about what it is that you really want to achieve in your personal life – whether that’s in one year, five years, or maybe even ten years. Don’t worry about how you’re going to get there, just write down all the possibilities – big and small.

2. Categorise your dreams

Sort your dreams into categories based on how important they are in your life e.g., financial impact, impact on mental health, family driven etc. You may find that there are reoccurring themes which is a sign that you are on the heading in the right direction in identifying your most important goals.

3. Define your dreams

Starting with the goal that is the most important to you, we now need to make this SMART – specific, measurable, awesome, realistic, and timed. This will turn the rough ideas into defined goals.

4. Visualise

Imagine what it will be like when you achieve your goal – how do you feel? What do you see? What do you hear? What is the impact on others? Really visualise the success and write down your feelings.

Now imagine what it would be like if you failed to achieve your goal – how do you feel? What is the pain that you and your loved ones will experience? It is important to recognise the pain as this is an enormous motivating force that will push you even harder to make sure you do not fail.

5. Plan

So, you now know what exactly it is that you want to achieve and the reason for wanting to achieve this, now it is time to plan how you will get there. Write down the things that you will need to do/have to achieve your goal and list the actions that you will need to take.

Repeat steps 3-5 for your other goals.

It is important to make sure that the business goals reflect what it is you want to achieve in your personal life. Use the same method as above for the business goals, not forgetting to link these to your personal goals. After all, if your business isn’t giving you what you want personally, you don’t have a business – you have a job!