The How To in setting and achieving meaningful business goals.

Have you ever tried to get to a destination without a roadmap or directions?

If a pilot came over the intercom and said “Hey…today I’m not going to bother setting up my navigational instruments, and although it’s raining…as it often does in business, and although it’s nighttime… which is often the gaps or blindspots we find in our businesses, I’m still going to attempt to fly across the world and land you at your exact location’

What would you do? Would you stay onboard?

It was found in a study by Prof. Gail Matthews, Dominican University of California that “Those Who Set Actionable Tasks For Their Goals And Initiate Weekly Progress Reporting To Their Supportive Peers Tend To Achieve 40% More Than Those Who Did Not.”

“Those Who Set Actionable Tasks For Their Goals And Initiate Weekly Progress Reporting To Their Supportive Peers Tend To Achieve 40% More Than Those Who Did Not.”

Prof. Gail Matthews, Dominican University of California

Let’s start 2022 on the pathway to increased Business Success by looking at the Power of the Written Goal and how to set and achieve meaningful business goals.

You need a powerful way to set specific goals that will get you to your destination. This is so simple, yet so often ignored for more important things like lead generation, sales process, and product or service delivery.

Goal to Destination Roadmap

In today’s article, we will cover the Goal to Destination RoadMap: Setting Goals for Success. Watch this space for future articles where we will walk you through the other steps of this powerful goal-setting framework including Fundamentals of Goal Setting and SMART Goals.

Step One: Set Goals for Success

Face the challenges of goal-setting head on and set goals that positively impact your business and
inspire you to act.

Most people understand the value of having short-term and long-term goals, but for some reason, they are unable to move forward.

They set goals, but due dates and deadlines pass them by. Little progress is made, and they don’t feel any closer to achieving what they set out to do.

Does this feel familiar?

Let’s start by looking at some of the reasons people set goals but are unable to achieve them:

• Their goals are too broad and lack specific parameters
• Their time frames are unreasonable and expectations are unrealistic
• They lack the motivation to follow through with task completion
• They don’t take enough action once goals are made
• They lack accountability from an outside source to keep them on track

Step One: Set Goals for Success

You may see yourself in some of the above statements and have experienced similar difficulties with achieving goals in the past. That’s all about to change.

As a business owner, you’ll be familiar with setting goals to achieve your business targets. But these goals aren’t set in a vacuum. They’re part of a wider business context that drives you towards success.

Think of it like a pyramid:

Vision = how you see the end result
Goal = what you want to achieve
Tasks = what you need to do to achieve the goal
Actions = specific steps that enable you to achieve your tasks

All achievements start with a vision. A vision provides you with a clear picture or mental image of the ideal outcome and end result.

It is what keeps you inspired and motivated through tough times. You can use vision boards and other visualization techniques to help bring your vision to life. The vision sits at the top of your Pyramid of Achievement because without it, you are unable to see the big picture.

But a vision can’t stand alone. It must be organized into a hierarchy of goals that specify what you want to achieve and when.

The next step is to identify the tasks that will get you closer to your goals and break them down into actions.

Each step of the pyramid builds on the previous one. Here’s an example of a Pyramid of Achievement:

Vision = Be the “go to” person for X
Priority Goal = Build an audience on social media that’s waiting to hear about your first product or service
Sample Task = Define an advertising strategy
Sample Action Step = Set a budget

You’ll see that by setting a budget, you’re starting to work towards your goal. There will be many such action steps and tasks to be accomplished before you reach the top of the pyramid. Each step builds on the one before it and put together, provides you with a powerful way to achieve your vision.

A common problem with goal setting is that people program themselves to fail before they’ve even tried. They let the times when they didn’t achieve their goals influence new opportunities. If this sounds familiar to you, make the decision that you will no longer let past experiences run your present and future.

This means paying attention to the mindset you have when you prepare to set goals. The most powerful way to tackle this is not to ignore what’s gone before but to acknowledge it. Then you’re in a position to consciously change your thinking.

For example, if you habitually go into a goal-setting session saying to yourself “I don’t know why I bother with this. It never works!” then your chances of succeeding are slim. Take that phrase and turn it around into a more positive statement, such as: “I haven’t achieved all the goals I’ve wanted in the past, but this time I’m going to make it work.” OR “I might not have achieved my goals in the past, but this time is different.” You need to choose the wording that works for you and feels right.

Get into the right mindset before you sit down to set your goals and you have a better chance of achieving them.

10 Steps to Setting Goals for Success

Here are 10 steps you need to commit to. You may find some of them more challenging than others.

Some people have trouble achieving goals because they aren’t grounded in reality. They try to turn “dreams” into “goals” without the appropriate reflection on whether or not they have the tools and the time needed to complete those goals. Goal setting is a fine balance between being positive and being unrealistic. You may want to be an opera singer, but if you have no voice or vocal training, this will most likely never happen. You have to know yourself and your strengths and talents. It would take a very naïve person to think they could sing at the Met with no talent or training.

This same kind of unrealistic thinking can also creep into business scenarios without us realizing it. Start out by being honest with yourself before you begin setting goals. For example, perhaps you know you’re the sort of person who loves starting new projects but gets bored after the initial rush of excitement. Or you’re the one who comes up with creative ideas but doesn’t like the nitty-gritty implementation. If this is you, think about how you can get help with the actionable steps. You’re responsible for seeing the goal through, but you don’t have to do everything yourself.

Enlist help internally or outsource externally to put yourself In the best position to achieve your goals.

An important element of goal setting is staying motivated. If you struggle with keeping yourself inspired, then think about how achieving your goals will help and serve others. People are more motivated when they know that what they do is making a positive impact on other people’s lives. Ask yourself how your success can make a positive impact on the world and reflect on the value you bring to people.

We have reached the end of our article outlining Goal to Destination RoadMap: Set Goals for Success. We will walk you through the remaining steps of this power goal-setting framework over the next couple of weeks including Fundamentals of Goal Setting and SMART Goals. Or if you would prefer you can watch as Alex Alexandrou walks you through the entire Goal to Destination RoadMap in this Power of the Written Goal LI LIVE recording or listen via the Mentors Walk Expert Talk Podcast available on Spotify.