So, you’ve set some big goals for 2015. And now you’re moving forward. Have you determined how you’ll achieve them?
First, make sure you set the right goals. Giving yourself something to works towards might sound easy, but it shouldn’t be. Put in the time to make sure you’re setting goals that will pay off.
Here’s how:
Get specific
It’s nice to want to increase sales and grow your business, but you need to put a number on it. Set a goal to boost sales by 20 percent, or whatever you determine is appropriate.
“Saying you want to ‘grow your business’ is too vague,” small business coach Melinda Emerson writes in this Huffington Post article. “What does growth look like? Hiring new employees? Increasing sales by a penny? You want your goals to be as detailed as possible. Say how you want to grow it. Quantify how much you want to increase sales. The more specific you are, the better you can measure results.”
Set high, but realistic goals
“You’ve got to aim for something in order to move your business to the next level,” Emerson writes. “However, don’t expect the stars every time. Remember those 10 pounds you’ve vowed to lose every New Year? Your goal may be too lofty, which makes you feel like resolutions are bunk.”
Ask why it’s important
It will keep you on track. For example, personal coach Jeff Boss writes in this article on Forbes that he wants to eat healthier in 2015. Why? “Because heart disease is the number one killer in America, and we (as a society) sure don’t help the cause by “supersizing” our food portions, working longer hours and taking less vacation days,” he writes.
Create an action plan
For the healthier eating goal, Boss makes suggestions such as packing a lunch so you can know how much of various nutrients you are eating. Or, he offers this advice for anyone who wants to stop procrastinating:
“Make a list of daily distractions. It might help to journalize throughout the course of a day or week, the attention grabbers that deter you from your work. Now delete them. Of course, you’ll have to weigh out the risk of doing so. If office “fires” tend to arise out of nowhere, block off an hour of “white space” on your calendar every day to ensure you get the personal time you need.”
Commit to succeed
Determine to succeed in spite of the obstacles, says Cy Wakeman, executive coach and author, says in this article in Business Insider.
“Accept that your circumstances are not the reason you haven’t been succeeding. Rather, your circumstances are the reality in which you must succeed,” Wakeman says. “Get rid of your conditions and commit to change and to be happy and successful in any reality.”
