What Kind Of Goals Are You Setting For Your Business?
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Givler
Are you setting goals? I used to subscribe to the belief that
goals were not important. I mean, you never knew what life would
throw at you, so why plan? Well, I started setting goals a
couple of years ago, and I can't tell you how incredibly my life
changed. If you want to get anywhere, you've got to know where
you're going. And goals are just the tools to help you do that.
More than likely, you will tweak your plans and revise your
goals along the way, but the goals are there for guidance. Did
you know that writing down your goals increases your chances of
achieving them by 70 percent? Those are pretty good odds! The
simple formula I'm about to show you will ensure that the goals
you set can easily be achieved.
When setting goals, your goals should be SMART. SMART goals were
created by Paul J. Meyer in his book, "Attitude is Everything."
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
Tangible. This is starting to look difficult, isn't it? I
promise you, it's easy. And, once you learn this formula, you
will increase your chances of achieving your goal exponentially.
First, your goal must be specific. It's not enough to say, "My
goal is to increase my income." This is not specific enough.
Increase your income to what? And how are you going to increase
your income? It's better to say something like "By the end of
2006, I want to increase my income by 50% by marketing my
services to another demographic." You see the difference? Be as
specific as possible when creating your goals.
Next, your goal should be measurable. In the example above, you
would definitely know by how much you have increased your
income. You must have a way of measuring your progress.
Your goal must also be attainable. In other words, you must
actually be able to break it down into smaller steps and achieve
each step leading to the larger goal. When you say you want to
increase your income by 50% by the end of the year by marketing
to another demographic, you need to make a plan. Your plan would
include things like, create marketing materials for the new
demographic. You'll break your goal down into smaller manageable
pieces. That way, you can achieve the small steps that lead up
to the larger goal.
Next, your goal must be realistic. For example, if you were to
say, "I want to lose 120 pounds in 1 month" that is well out of
the realm of reality. Setting goals that are unrealistic, or
unattainable, will not only set you up for failure, but they
will be discouraging and frustrating.
Finally, your goal must be tangible. A tangible goal can be
experienced with one of the senses. You can see an increase in
income. You can feel a newly created product, you can see and
feel weight-loss.
Now, think about what you want your business to look like by the
end of 2006. If you've set goals, are they SMART? If you need
to, tweak them so that they help you map out a solid plan. Once
you've got your plan, you must put it in action. The only way
you're going to get anywhere is to move in the direction you
want to go. Think of it this way: SMART goals + plan + action =
achievement. Seem too easy? It honestly is. Yes, there are going
to be times when you will need to tweak the plan. But, with the
plan in place, you'll always know where you are headed. So even
if you do need to make adjustments, you can always get back on
track.