Top 3 Goals
As a fresh New Year stretches out before us, ’tis that season when great plans are enthusiastically made, often with seemingly boundless optimism and energy. If you’re like me, you already have an ever-expanding list of things you want to accomplish this year!
Effective planning will help you stay on track and realize your 2010 business goals. Here are 4 keys to help you in the process:
- Identify your top 3 goals — but wait! There’s more… don’t stop there. In fact, don’t even lay out a detailed action plan, schedule dates, and be off and running just yet. Take each of your top goals and break them down into manageable parts, as components.
- Select the part associated with each goal that will begin to move you in the direction to attaining it. This means you are not setting out to devour the entire elephant this month, but you will get a good start in the process, by taking specific steps.
- Set up a calendar to lay out a systematic plan. By working your way through a strategic series of steps, you will reach your goal. Because you can see progress and enjoy the accomplishment along the way, it is easier to work the system incrementally.
- Evaluate and track your progress weekly. Schedule this review in your calendar. Accountability is a great motivator. Enlist a business partner, colleague, friend or spouse to encourage you in your efforts.
Business goals and dreams may be “super-sized” in scope, but to stay on track, while improving the business bottom line, “bite-sized” portions simply dished out on a continual basis are far more effective and satisfying. Working into a frenzy, ever-hungering for some sign of progress then throwing in the towel, often results with unmet goals and incomplete projects.
Expect challenges and difficulties with related changes and new directions. It’s easy to forget this is normal, no matter how committed you are to the task at hand. Once you’re on a roll and realize the sweet taste of success with each incremental step along the way to reaching your top 3 goals, it will be easier to stay on track and realize them.
What are your top 3 business goals this year? In my next post, I’m going to reveal what exciting new directions I plan to take. Look forward to seeing this New Year unfold — and hearing what your plans are!
