What You’ll Learn Today:
- Are you one of the 9%?
- Why we aren’t achieving our goals
- 3 tips to plan your goals effectively
- Leverage the power of planning
- Goal ‘get em! The next step is easy
Would you like to be one of the 9%? 9% of what, you ask…
Stats say that of those who set New Year’s resolutions, just 9% actually achieve them.
Countless sources tell a discouraging story: No matter what the resolution – from running that marathon to attending more networking events – most of us just don’t keep them.
Why Can’t We Achieve the Goals We Set?
Is there any hope? (hint: YES!)
Perhaps the short answer to the problem of achieving our goals is best summed up in this simple quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
If you’re a small business owner reading this, you can probably relate to these common goals:
- Boost income & build new revenue streams
- Connect with a bigger audience
- Delegate more to increase productivity
- Make technology work smarter for you
- Debut a new offering like an online course or lead magnet
- Develop your professional speaker presentation & land gigs
- And the list goes on…
It’s not a bad thing to envision where you’d like to see your business in six months or a year from now. It’s when you stop at the visioning stage that troubles arise.
Without a solid plan to breathe life into your vision, it’s like relying on a hope-based strategy (and you know what they say about those…).
3 Tips for Effective Goal Planning
Want to increase your chances of success in achieving your goals? Try integrating the following 3 tips into your planning efforts:
#1: Define SMART (and challenging!) goals.
DO: Be specific.
DON’T: Make generic, vague goals.
WHY: Science verifies the effectiveness: Two key principles have been proven to lead to greater performance 90% of the time: setting specific and challenging goals.
#2: Break goals down into approachable chunks.
DO: Keep it simple.
DON’T: Allow yourself to be distracted by “shiny objects.”
WHY: When you look at the “big picture,” it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of distractions that may trip you up along the way. Instead, try a step-by-step, methodical approach.
#3: Establish a support system.
DO: Practice accountability.
DON’T: Try to go it alone.
WHY: Procrastination. Waning motivation. It’s part of being human. Increase your chances of success by surrounding yourself with supportive folks who will help you stay accountable.
BONUS TIP: Check in on your progress mid-year. One source suggests summer can be the ideal time to revisit, refresh and revise your goals. Try it!
If the whole idea of planning feels overwhelming, consider the timeless wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt, “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
Which do you think makes better business sense? Direct your energies to carve out a solid, workable plan – or make a wish and hope it comes true?
Wise Coaches & Consultants Know the Power of Planning
For many business owners, December represents a time of review, planning and goal-setting. A lot of our clients 
want to kick off the New Year with an exciting plan or goal.
Through December and January, most of the coaches and consultants we work with are really riding the “New Year Buzz” in terms of content creation and/or sales opportunities.
Psst, here’s a small business success secret: Long before the curtain closed on 2022, savvy business owners were planning their promotions and launch strategies way back in the fall, around October (giving about a 2-4 months pre-launch period).
That means as we dive headfirst into the New Year, January and February is actually the time to be thinking ahead into April/May for a spring launch, before the summer slowdown hits.
Goal Get ‘Em: Your Next Step is Easy
You know all those “summer bodies are made in winter” memes? Sure, they’re funny – and they also symbolize a profound truth about successful businesses.
So, whether you’ve got a launch plan to figure out for that new online course you’re working on, you’re planning to freshen up your lead magnet…or you want to transform your company growing pains into business gains…keep that analogy in mind. 😊
We might not be able to help you exercise more, eat healthier foods or plant that flower garden you’ve been dreaming of for years…
But if your visions for 2023 involve small business goals like increasing revenue, reaching a wider audience, focusing more on what you do best (and less on the nuts & bolts of running your small biz)…we’ve got you covered!
Your next step is easy: Just schedule a complimentary strategy call with us today to discuss your business goals for 2023 & beyond: Schedule a meeting
If you found this article helpful, stay tuned for a dive deep into planning pre-requisites. Before you can promote and/or launch a product or service, you need to make sure some key basics are in place to move forward. We’ll cover everything you need to know, all so you can increase your chances of meeting your goal.
