Goal setting is a proven way to help achieve success, so why is it that 80% of small business owners say that they don't use goal setting to drive their business forward?We know just how hard it is running your own business. January starts with wishful hopes to add, reduce and change but the 'phone is ringing and it's your clients on the line. Before you know it, you are back responding, delivering and working hard just to catch up.
Well it's not too late, it is still January (just!) so why not take the time right now to make 2011 the year you went in the direction you wanted.
SWIBN's top 10 things a goal needs, to stand the best chance:
1. Be written down
2. Be visible
3. Have a means of measuring progress
4. Have a clearly defined destination
5. Have a target date by which it/they will be achieved
6. Be set without limits
7. Expressed in the present tense
8. Have a tangible reward for achievement
9. Have a defined support infrastructure
10. Most importantly, your goal must be valued/wanted/worth it!
Goals are nothing without a BIG reason why - so we've added two more criteria for building your commitment:
1. What strength do you already have that will help you achieve your goal?
2. What will be cost to you/pain of not achieving your goal?
And to help you to accomplish your goal, like it or not, accountability is key. Here are some of the promises we made to ourselves at our recent workshop:
- Find a buddy and ask them to support you
- Use monthly business network meetings to give an update
- Open a new discussion on our SWIBN Linkedin group to post updates
- Set aside a time every week to review progress ( 1/2 hour should be enough)
- Read your goals aloud every day (being visible really helps)
- Share thoughts from the great writers on the subject - Stephen Covey and Fiona Harrold/Be your own Life Coach
Perhaps you are an old hand at this and we could learn from you. If so, send us a post- we'd be delighted to have all the help we can get.
