Many business owners get caught up in the day to day running of their business.
And after a while they get deflated and lose their drive because they feel that they do not know which direction they are heading in.
If this happens for too long you can lose motivation as well.
The solution?
Set yourself some clear goals.
By setting goals, it does three powerful things for the business and the owner:
1) Goals provides direction. Instead of just going in any direction and drifting where the wind blows, you actually define ‘Here’s where I want to go’.
2) Goals provide focus. As soon as you decide a goal is important to you, you start to focus on it. Your brain also starts working out ‘how do I achieve it?’.
3) Goals generate momentum. The right goals inspire you to take action. As soon as you draw a line in the sand and go for your goal you’ll find all sorts of ways to make it happen.
So how do you set clear goals for your business?
1) Put Your Goals in Writing
The first thing is your goals must be in writing. Think of all the big commitments that we make in life eg when we get married or when we sign a mortgage. These are always in writing. Something powerful happens when we take our goals out of our head and put them onto paper. They immediately become more real. It is no longer a ‘one day, someday thing’. By committing to a goal our brain starts to go to work on how to achieve the goal – even when we are asleep!
So put your goals in writing and put them somewhere where you’re going to see them often.
2) Make Your Goals Specific
The second thing is your goals need to be specific. I often hear people say ‘I want to make more money’ or ‘I want to work less hours’. What does that mean? If you were walking down the street and you found a dollar – have you achieved your goal of more money? No! Usually there is a more specific thing in mind.
For example, to increase my income by $10,000 a month or to double my revenue over the next three years.
When you set a specific goal, it forces you to think about how you could achieve it. The same applies to the time frame of your goal. Think of the goal of doubling your business in a year versus doubling your business in 10 years. Just by changing the timeframe, it changes the types of questions you ask on how you can achieve it. So be specific with your timeframe and the goal itself.
3) Break Your Goals Down Into Baby Steps
The third thing with your goals is to break them down to baby steps.
It’s that old question ‘how do you eat an elephant?’ The answer is. One bite at a time.
Every big goal, no matter how impossible that it may seem, can be broken down into simple, achievable steps. Do this for each of your goals.
In fact, one great thing you can do as soon as you set a goal, is work out what’s one action you can do immediately. What’s a simple actionable step that you can do today that will take you towards your goal? And do it! You’ll be one step closer to making your goal a reality. And it gives you initial momentum.
So if you haven’t already, make sure you set some very clear goals for your business. Make sure they are written down. Make sure they’re specific and break your goals down into baby steps.
It’s a powerful first step in moving towards the business you have always dreamed of.
