Hannah Edwards

A business goal starts with a plan, think of “SMART GOALS”. Your goals need to be;

S– Specific

M– Measurable

A– Achievable

R– Realistic

T– Time-bound

There are also 2 more steps you could add to these to make “SMARTER” goals…

E– Evaluate

R– Readjust

To plan a goal we are going to follow 6 steps-

  1. Define your goals – The first step in goal setting is to ensure you know exactly what you want to accomplish, and that the goal is going to be beneficial to your business. It is important to set clear goals. You should know where you want your business to be in the future. Be as specific as possible, so that you can determine when you have reached the goal.

  1. Road Map – You should create a road map with your goal being the finish line and map out how you are going to achieve it. You need to keep this specific and explain what you would like to accomplish at each checkpoint along the way. With these guidelines, you will achieve a greater outcome.

  1. Commitment – Once you have decided on a goal, you will need to commit to it and see it through to the end. Do not second-guess yourself or procrastinate, this will slow your progress to reaching your goal.

  1. Public Goals – Once you have committed to your goal, make it public. Share your goal with someone other than yourself. This will allow you to be held accountable for reaching your goal. You could allow the person you share your goal to become part of the plan. You could ask them to check in and see the progress you have made with your goals.

  1. Deadlines – As with “Time-bound” in our SMARTER goals, you need to set a specific date/time that you want to have the goal completed by. If you don’t set deadlines there is a chance that your business could fail because you have nothing to work towards. Ensure that you have a realistic deadline, one that is not too close or too far away.

  1. Reward – When you achieve a goal that you have been working towards, ensure that you reward yourself. You’ve worked hard and put a lot of effort into achieving these goals so when you achieve it, you should mark the milestone by celebrating the success.

How to stick to a goal

These are my favourite tips on how to create and stick to your goals;

SMARTER Goals – Setting “SMARTER” Goals will help your business to grow, to identify specific issues, evaluate and adjust your approach to make reaching your business goal more achievable. For instance “I want to make money” is not a goal “I want to make 100% profit from my workshops by December 2021” is a goal, that is specific, measurable and is time-bound.

Write Goals Down – Thinking of goals isn’t good enough, get yourself a goal journal, you need to write down your goals and clarify what you want. By doing this you will motivate yourself to complete the goal. You can then go back and check to see if you have succeeded in your goals or if they need to be re-evaluated.

Identify your weakness – What stops you from completing your goals? Identify what is throwing you off course and then figure out a way to solve the problem.

Rewards – For every goal that you accomplish, you need to celebrate the win. Reward yourself in a way that is good for you.

Find an accountability buddy – Going it alone can be difficult. Find someone that you trust and ask them to accompany you in your journey. They can help to hold you accountable for your business to ensure you are reaching your goals. If that person is another business person, you can both help each other.

Mindfulness and Meditation – The way we think creates our actions. If we have a negative way of thinking, the results of our actions would then have a negative outcome. Being mindful and adopting a new, positive way of thinking can help you to create and stick to goals with ease.

Block Time – Block time out on your schedule to revisit and adjust your goals as necessary. Having time aside to review your goals means you are more likely to achieve the end result.

What other ways can you think of to create and stick to your goals?