As you work through developing goals for your business and your life, you may notice that you need to change what you’re doing now.
In fact, as you move along in your business, whatever is in your business plan now might change. As you gain experience, some of the assumptions you made in the past will be thrown out for the reality of what really works and what doesn’t work for you and your business.
So what can you do to ensure you meet your goals?
FREE Checklist: How To Achieve A Mindset For Success
How Can You Meet Your Goals?
Did you know that, according to SCORE.org, businesses that create well-researched business plans and then use those plans to develop each goal and the steps to reach each goal are 80% more likely to experience success?
Because of this, SMART goal setting for your life and your business will be one of the practices that pay off for you the most. When you learn good goal setting techniques, you’ll be amazed at how much better you become at succeeding.
It doesn’t matter what you want to do. Using SMART goal setting techniques will make a difference.
How to Create SMART Goals
The main issue with goals is that many times entrepreneurs don’t set goals that will work.
A goal needs to be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
If it’s not all of these, more than likely, you’ll not succeed. It might seem like extra work for you to focus on the minutia to set goals. However, the proof is in the pudding.
Write Specific Goals
For a goal to be specific, it needs to spell out the result and how you’re going to do it.
For example, if you want to list 100 products a week on your eBay platform, you have to set it up so that it can happen. “I will list 20 products each evening from 8 to 10pm.” Describe what constitutes done, so you know when you met the goal. Remember, if you don’t set aside the time to do it, it won’t happen.
Make Sure Each Goal is Measurable
As you noticed, the specific goal above mentions numbers. It states that you’ll list 100 products within five workdays by listing 20 products each day Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 and 10pm. Knowing this information, you also need to set up the rest of your day to ensure you have the time to devote.
Work Only for Attainable Goals
If you want to list more products because you know that getting more listings up means that you have the opportunity to earn more money, it’s important to be realistic about the number.
Bear in mind that if you don’t have the funds to buy 100 products a week, you’re not going to be able to list them. Also, if you don’t really sit down each evening to process the products, it won’t happen. Don’t make the goal so impossible to reach that it doesn’t take into consideration the reality of your life and the goals you’ve made for the rest of your life too.
If you really only have 2 hours, it’s possible you won’t have enough time to list 20 products, so you’ll have to lower your goal so that it’s actually attainable. Also, there may be outside influences that make your goal impossible, for example, if it’s against the terms of service or somehow against the law or other rules.
Ensure Your Goal is Realistic in The First Place
Don’t make impossible goals.
It’s fun to dream about being a billionaire but don’t start with that goal. Start with a goal of making enough money to maintain your current lifestyle, then add to that as you go. Also, think about other aspects of your life that might make the goal, while attainable, unrealistic for you.
For example, if you have a chronic illness, you may need to modify some of your goals to ensure you can meet them. The easiest way to succeed is to stop trying to do things that can’t be done and do things that can be done by studying the situation to make sure it’s real and a sensible goal to set for your situation.
Always Assign Deadlines to Make Them Time-Bound
No goal will ever be done on an ongoing basis to see real results if you don’t set deadlines.
When you set deadlines, always take the time to understand how long it really takes. Don’t try to be faster than others. Take the time it really takes to do a good job, regardless of what it is. Some people have found success using something called ‘batching‘. This is a system where you allocate certain time periods to certain tasks which you need to complete – and the tasks are all alike.
Do You Have The Mindset for Success?
Being a business owner can be overwhelming and exhausting. So how do some people seem to thrive and achieve their goals and dreams while others struggle? The answer is mindset. When you develop a mindset for success you’ll be able to work through challenges with confidence and meet your goals. Download my free checklist, Cultivating A Success Mindset to see if you’re meant to be an entrepreneur with the 6 key qualities for success.