I always find goal setting fascinating because one of the turning points in my life was when I discovered the power of setting goals. Without really knowing what I was doing, I sat down and made a list of 10 things I wanted to accomplish in the foreseeable future.
I put the little sticky note containing my goals next to my PC and about 30 days later, my whole life had changed. Almost every goal on my list had already been achieved or partially achieved. It was a total eye opener.
I thought by myself, “Wow, can it be this easy to achieve what you want to achieve?” and the answer is a resounding YES.
Setting goals is the most powerful way of getting what you want out of life and out of your business…
A goal is a dream with a deadline. It is the result, the end product of what you want to achieve. You can use goals to:
- Increase something – your income, nr of clients, customer satisfaction, effectiveness
- Reduce something – risks, expenses, turnaround times, competition
- Improve something – website, marketing campaigns, business processes, your life
- Save something – time, money, space, energy
But the secret behind making goals the most powerful vehicle of getting what you want out of your business is to take action on them.
Here’s a quick 5 step process of setting and achieving goals:
STEP 1: Decide what you want in each key area of your life:
E.g I want to increase my business income.
STEP 2: Write it down and be specific:
E.g. I want to have Rxx.00 to take my family to Disney Land.
STEP 3: Give your goal a deadline.
E.g. I have Rxx.00 by 30th November 20xx to take my family to Disney Land
STEP 4: Break it down in action steps:
E.g. To enable me to earn Rxx by 30th November 20xx, I need to
- Get more clients
- Raise my rates
- Provide a specialized service
- Save more money
Each of these can also be broken down into further action steps
E.g. “Get more clients” ((1) above) can be broken down into for example
- Target a specific group of people
- Develop a very specific marketing message
- Update marketing materials
- Reach out to xx nr of people each month
- Attend at least networking event each month
STEP 5: Create a plan of action for each action step.
E.g. Your plan of action for “Reaching out to xx nr of people each month” (see above), can include:
- Create a database of potential clients with contact details
- Personally talk to xx people each day about services
When you have a written plan of all your action steps, your original goal of “Earning Rxx by 30th November 20xx” becomes a reality. It’s not a “pie in the sky” anymore and you have a do-able roadmap to get you there.
So, have fun with setting your goals and creating an action plan…and start experiencing the power boost it brings into your business.
If you need more help with planning and setting goals to take your VA Business forward, here are a couple of resources that can help.
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