One of the most powerful things you can do for both your business and your life is to set goals.

I know there has been a lot of myth surrounding the Harvard MBA program study and whether it actually existed or not but here’s the reality. Successful people set goals. If you want to succeed, if you want to live the life that you really want and not just dream about it you have to set goals.

WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN

Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University did a study on her students. Simply by writing the goals down, just by writing them down, her students were had were 42% more likely to reach their goals.

Why? Because they committed to them. They get their goals in front of them. They AIMED for their goals.

Part of the power of goals is that they exist. They keep you focused. They keep you on track. They help keep you accountable.

Plus, when you reach one goal, it makes it easier to reach the next one. That gives you both momentum and motivation.

So, how the blank do you set goals in a world turned upside down? See my other post “Where the blank did my vision go?”

Start where you are. Set realistic goals for the time being. Set short term goals. At this point in time, don’t even attempt a 10 year or 20 year plan. Your business, your industry, heck, the world might not be here 20 years from now.

Start where you are. Set a goal for the end of the year. Then work backwards. What can you get done in the next 6 months. Plan this out in two 90- day increments. What can you do in the 3rd quarter and then the 4th quarter.

If you have a revenue goal to achieve by 12/31 what do you need to do to reach it? If you need to move your brick & mortar company online do so. Most companies have already made that transition or are in the process of making the transition.

Some companies have moved into entirely new product lines using the equipment and talent they already had. Others simply took their product or service and made it virtual instead of in person. Everyone has had to adapt. That seems to be the theme this year: adaptability.

Having goals should help you adapt. Not by keeping you stuck to a goal but by giving you focus. Maybe some of you need to change your goals for this year. But having a goal will keep you on track.

The North Star: your goal is your North Star or guide post. By setting my goal for the year I quickly realized I was not going to achieve my goals on my own. What did I do? I hired an assistant. I hired someone who could help me make better use of my time. She can do the admin stuff that gets in my way so that I can focus in the big ticket items and bring money in the door.

Without this goal, I could have kept going on as is. My goal helped me get out of my comfort zone and expand my business. I was not willing to settle. I was not going to accept status quo. In order to grow and move forward and become more successful I needed a good, strong, measurable goal.

GET SOMEONE TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE

The other part of reading goals is having someone keep you accountable. Setting goals and writing them down in key. But the final measure to get your across the finish line is having someone keep you accountable. This can be a coach, a mentor or a friend. Whether it is one on one or a group, having some one to check in with and keep you accountable will help you keep going.

It helps keep you on track when you have deadlines but also when you have some one to answer to. Even if it is just a friend, an accountability buddy that keeps track of you will take you further than you can go on your own.

SET DEADLINES

Another factor to help you reach your goals is to set deadlines. When you work for a larger company these are often set for you. Entrepreneurs, especially solo entrepreneurs, can flounder without deadlines.

So, how do you set reasonable deadlines? One, look at your goals, look at the calendar and work backwards. Your type of service or product may dictate the timing of your goals. I cannot launch an accounting class 3 weeks before a tax deadline. I need to teach that class 2-3 months before tax season gets in full swing. A toy manufacturer has to plan and design his toys and produce them at least 6 months before the Christmas toy season.

Examine your product or service and decide the best season to launch your product. For some of you, any time is good. Then you can look at how much work you need to make the product or service and how much time you need to advertise the product or service and get it out there.

Setting deadlines will give you more motivation to get it done. Having that launch date or ship date on your calendar will force you to move faster to make it happen.

GET A CALENDAR SYSTEM AND STICK TO IT

Get a good calendar system, use it to it’s fullest potential and stick to it. If you don’t have a good calendar system yet, please read my post Calendar systems compared.

You need to set deadlines but in order to reach them, you need to install a great planning system to help you reach those goals & deadlines. Personally, I use Todd Hermans 90 Day Year. I liked it so much, I became an authorized partner to use the 90 Day year on my group coaching program The Business Builders Club and in my one-on-one coaching with clients.

Regardless of which system you choose, or which project management system you use, you need to use one. Get this system in place, keep getting better at it over time and watch yourself become better & better at reaching you goals and achieving the life and business that you want to live.

Success does not happen by accident. Success happens by knowing what you want, setting goals and having a good system in place to reach your goals.

Until next time,

Deborah