Last week I e-mailed a few home-based business owners and clients about goals and whether or not they set them. I found out that half of them do and half of them think goals are a waste of time.
Truth be told, I stopped setting goals at the end of last year and finally started setting them again two months ago.
Why? Because they work.
In my “Need to move your business forward?“ blog post, I focused on the fact that if your business gets off track, it’s a good idea to look back and figure out what worked before. I needed to kick my business up a notch and realized that what had always worked before was to set goals.
So far, I’ve met one or two of my goals ahead of schedule. Now I’m motivated to set even more goals.
Whether you’re thinking about setting goals for the first time or are considering whether you should start setting them again, consider these questions:
• Do you share your goals with others? When you share a goal, you’re under more pressure to complete it. It helps to have annoying friends remind you often about reaching your goals.
• Do you list the steps you need to take to reach your goals? Your list of goals may include a breakdown of the main tasks you need to accomplish to reach your goals, or just include specific deadlines for each task. If you have a detailed list, pull tasks from the list and add them to your daily To Do list.
• Have you asked anyone to help you reach your goals? If someone you know already has achieved the same goals, save time (and costly mistakes) by asking that person for advice. Be willing to pay for his or her time and expertise. And make sure you thank the person for his or her time.
• Do you reward yourself for meeting your goals? Rewards don’t have to be expensive. Treat yourself to a nice dinner, download a book you’ve wanted to read or take a day off. You deserve it.
By taking the time to set specific goals, you’ll accomplish more, feel a sense of direction and more importantly, you’ll have time to enjoy the benefits of meeting those goals.
While setting goals has helped me become better focused on what’s important and what will help me grow my business, I’m still having trouble meeting one of my goals…reducing the amount of chocolate I eat. I’ve balanced it out, though, with one of my other goals which is to stop being so hard on myself.
Hi Lisa,
I have just recently re- written all of my goals out. I find that this helps me to reflect on the relevance of each goal in the current setting and direction of my life.
I like your points above and in particular one that I have never done: “Have you asked anyone to help you reach your goals?” This sounds so simple, yet for someone like me who would rather be independent and not rely on others, the idea of allowing someone else to help me did not come naturally.
Thank you for this tip,
David
I tend to work a bit too independently too and at some point I realized there’s an easier way to reach my goals. I’ve returned the favor and have helped others with their goals. Win/win for everyone. Let me know how your new goals work out.