We know how important it is to set goals and most people have some idea of what they want to achieve in their lives, but why is it that so many people struggle to actually achieve their goals?
This is something we see at the start of every year, where people are eager to start afresh and make big changes to their lives by setting New Year’s resolutions.
For example you notice the gym is really busy in early January and gradually gets quieter as we move into February.
And the same is true for most resolutions, only a limited few actually stick to them.
And every year the process is repeated and the same resolutions are set, because this year it’ll be different!
But it rarely is.
So how can we set goals and actually achieve them?
VISION
It starts with being really clear on what you actually want your life to look like. What is it that you truly desire for your life and business? Why is it important to you? How will it make you feel?
Make sure you are being true to yourself and thinking about what you REALLY want.
This is your North Star vision and will help guide you to make the right choices.
There is so much noise online about what success ‘should’ look like, that it can be feel like maybe that’s what success should look like for you too.
Success is yours to define.
Stay in your own lane and focus on the vision that feels good for you and your business.
Once you have a clear vision of where you want to go, you will need a plan to get there. This will help give you clarity and focus.
SET MEANINGFUL GOALS
Break your North Star vision into smaller goals. Choose 1-3 goals that are specific and measuarable. Effective planning starts with a well-written SMART goal. SMART stands for:
Specific – Your goal should be clear and specific
Measurable – It’s important to have measurable goals so that you can track progress and stay motivated
Attainable – Your goal should stretch your comfort levels but still remain possible
Relevant – Your goal should matter to you and align with your vision and other goals
Time-bound – This gives you an end-date to focus on and work towards
Always ask yourself why this goal matters to you. How will your life and business be different if it was achieved? Does this goal motivate you?
An example of a SMART goal would be:
Generate £100k in revenue by 31st December.
The revenue may be used to pay off some debt, buy a dream family holiday or to boost profits in your business – these are the reasons that will keep you motivated and mean more than the revenue amount alone.
This goal gives a clear idea of the outcome that you want to achieve, which is great because you know what you want your end result to be.
This is where most people would end their goal-setting process, and that’s where the process fails.
TAKE ACTION
Outcome goals are totally out of your control and so what happens is that you don’t really believe you can get there, or you don’t even know how to get there.
To bring that outcome goal to fruition you need to break it down into bite-size chunks that are actionable.
When you work at completing those actions one step at a time, you will see progress towards making your goals a reality.
The outcome is the result of the routines, systems and actions you take every day.
MAKE A 90-DAY PLAN
Make a 90-day plan with clear action steps that you want to accomplish every week. By the end of the 12 weeks you will have made significant progress towards your goals.
Focus is critical. If you set too many goals, you end up with too many priorities and too many tactics to effectively execute. Everything cannot be a priority. Choose between 1-3 goals that are in alignment with your North Star vision.
Most importantly, hold yourself accountable to your plan and take action step by step towards your goals.
