The new-year is now well under way. All the left over chocolates have been eaten and it’s time to look forward to what we want for our business, for this year.
It’s time to set some goals, so we can keep moving forward, continue to grow and develop, and be able to reach our own level of success.
Sometimes the thought of setting goals is a bit scary and it can trigger our doubts and anxieties. “If I don’t set goals then no-one will know if I fail”, is a common thought used to avoid goal-setting. But let’s face it, if you don’t set goals, you are not going to be able to realise your success either. And what’s a bit of failure amongst friends? It just gives us something to motivate us to change our goals anyway, so in other words we have nothing to lose by setting goals. We either, meet them, and are successful, or we change them, and learn something in the process. That’s a win-win proposition.
So let’s give it a try!
Whenever we set goals we want to follow this rule of thumb. Goals must be S.M.A.R.T. That is, our goals, no matter how small, must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Limited. Good to know!
Let’s take an example: Mary wants to increase her cake-decorating portfolio this year. She is currently offering 10 different designs of speciality cakes but she would like to add 6 more over the course of the year.
Specific: Goals need to be broken down into much smaller parts. Mary needs to ask specifically what designs she wants to add, how she is going to research them, how she is going to create them, and when she wants to add them to her portfolio. Then she breaks it down further into when she wants to release these new designs and what she needs to do to keep on track.
Measurable: Creating a calendar with mini goals and deadlines will keep you accountable to your goals and will allow you to measure your progress. If, for Mary, the goals break down to creating one new design every 8 weeks, then she can write her to-do list and mark it off when she is complete. If she gets behind, she can see this on the calendar and will work to catch up or change the goal.
Attainable: Our goals need to be do-able and within reach or we will soon give up on them. We all know someone who said they were going to work out everyday in the new-year and by the end of January they have thrown their goals out the window – along with their new gym clothes. Mary needs to make sure that she has time, energy and resources in place, so she can still reach her goal as the year goes on.
Time-Limited: Goals need to have a deadline or they just don’t get done. Mary will be successful if she gives herself mini-deadlines, as well as a bigger deadline, when all 6 of her designs are completed. Then of course, it’s time to celebrate that the goal has been accomplished.
So now it’s time for you to set a goal, write it down, create a plan, be specific, plot your progress and celebrate when you get it done.
All the best!
Susan Cockle
Mental Performance Consultant
Registered Psychologist
David’s Cousin
