Why Do You Need Goals?
Setting goals is important to your success. Working every day without having a concrete goal in mind, and on paper, is not creating the path to success.
Why “on paper”? Putting your objectives in writing is important, even as you focus on working on one goal at a time.
It's only a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal. ~ Emmitt Smith
If you want more out of life and your business, set aside some time to set goals and prioritize them. Break them down into doable steps and re-evaluate them at month’s end. If they need to be reworked, do so; if you met your objectives, continue doing what you’re doing or make them slightly more difficult.
When you achieve challenging objectives, your business will grow. At the same time, it builds your self-confidence and allows you to grow as a person.
There is something to think about, though. While setting targets is important to your success, are you setting targets that are too easy? On the other hand, are they too challenging? Goals that are too easy will keep you in your comfort zone and won’t lead to business growth. Goals that are too challenging will make you feel defeated and possibly cause you to give up on your dream.
Planning on how to accomplish your goals doesn’t require a lot of time but it’s a necessary part of the process. As small business owners and Solopreneurs, we’re faced with numerous distractions every day. When you have a specific goal you’re working towards, and you know what you should be working on to achieve the desired result, you’ll not be wondering each morning what you’re supposed to do. When your feet hit the floor, you will know what you need to focus on each day.
How can you set goals that will encourage your personal and business growth? Here are three ways to categorize your goals so you will always be challenged:
- Small goals. These are objectives you can reach easily with just a little bit of extra effort, such as adding 5-10 new subscribers each week. Small goals should always increase but shouldn’t be so difficult that you end up stressed. These should be the easiest goals to meet so you feel some accomplishment at the end of the month.
- Medium goals. These are the objectives that make you step out of your comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone won’t lead to growth; instead, you’ll stay right where you are and won’t see any changes in your business. A medium goal might be scheduling podcast interviews. Not only would you get practice telling your message but you’d be exposed to a new audience, which could lead to new subscribers, social media followers, and clients. You may also decide to do schedule regular Facebook Lives so you increase your visibility.
- Large goals. These are the dreams that may seem out of reach. Remember, out of reach does not equate to being impossible. Break those targets down into smaller steps, such as monthly, weekly, or daily objectives. These large goals may take longer to accomplish but you’ll still be working toward those goals every single day.
Now that you’ve identified how to categorize and set goals, take a few minutes to make a list of the goals you’d like to accomplish in the next 3-5 years then work backwards to one year and then 90 days. You then break them down into smaller manageable segments with the goal of taking action daily.
