Short and long-term goal setting is vital for any business owner. If you didn't set goals, you would be adrift with nothing to strive for and no charted course to follow.
I know that. I understand that. But in practice, I have a hard time with that. Do you have a hard time with that too?
I am personally not a goal-oriented person. But yet I understand the value of having goals...little things like I might be more likely to meet them and therefore enrich my business and personal life if I have them written down.
In 2008 I set a very vague goal to be published. I went after that and to my great surprise was published five times throughout the year. So in 2009 I decided that I should do more than just state it, I should write it down. My goal is to be published once per month and to donate one ensemble per month for the entire year. So far I am up to date on the donations (but currently seeking an April and May opportunity), and I am scheduled to have my work published through September of this year. These opportunities don’t find me, I have to find them, but by setting that goal and keeping tabs on it I am doing all that I can to make them happen. And I believe that when you put it out in the world you would be surprised how the planets aligned to make your goal a reality.
I am personally not a goal-oriented person. But yet I understand the value of having goals...little things like I might be more likely to meet them and therefore enrich my business and personal life if I have them written down.
In 2008 I set a very vague goal to be published. I went after that and to my great surprise was published five times throughout the year. So in 2009 I decided that I should do more than just state it, I should write it down. My goal is to be published once per month and to donate one ensemble per month for the entire year. So far I am up to date on the donations (but currently seeking an April and May opportunity), and I am scheduled to have my work published through September of this year. These opportunities don’t find me, I have to find them, but by setting that goal and keeping tabs on it I am doing all that I can to make them happen. And I believe that when you put it out in the world you would be surprised how the planets aligned to make your goal a reality.
How could you possibly be motivated if you were unsure about the direction of your company?
One obvious way is to take the time to put your goals in writing. Rainy Worzalla of Art Village is the most goal oriented person I know. And setting her goals has helped her achieve them, as we are all witness to with her recent move. But beyond her long-term goals, Rainy has a wonderful tool that she and her staff use to motivate them on a monthly basis called M.A.I.N.L.Y. I asked Rainy to spend a few moments detailing how this worksheet has helped her be a success.
One obvious way is to take the time to put your goals in writing. Rainy Worzalla of Art Village is the most goal oriented person I know. And setting her goals has helped her achieve them, as we are all witness to with her recent move. But beyond her long-term goals, Rainy has a wonderful tool that she and her staff use to motivate them on a monthly basis called M.A.I.N.L.Y. I asked Rainy to spend a few moments detailing how this worksheet has helped her be a success.
BALANCE is not a word that Rainy uses in her vocabulary. But HARMONY is. While she may not be setting life goals involving fitness or spirituality or other equally important subjects, she does believe that there should be a harmony among the various areas of your life. The M.A.I.N.L.Y. goal sheet from The Monthly Mentor has helped her acheive that. That and the fact that she has a partner in her business who does this monthly with her to keep her on track.
M.A.I.N.L.Y. stands for Mess, Acknowledgment, Increase in Wealth, New, Learn and Yourself. Really all areas of your life and business can be categorized by one of these points. Rainy points out that we all have messes in our lives, all need to give gratitude, all are looking to enrich our bottom line, all have the drive to try new things and learn something new everyday and last, but not least, we need to be good to ourselves. The M.A.I.N.L.Y. sheet has a place for all of them.
Writing the goals for your life and business are one thing, but to have another person holding you accountable to them really allows the process to work. Rainy and Kristin sit down each month and go over their individual and business goals using the worksheet and decide how they can acheive them. They also go over the previous month to be sure that they can score the sheet accordingly. I know that the results have been amazing and the fact that they do it together not only keeps them honest about the outcome, but motivates them as well to be the best that they can be. The benefit of scoring the sheet allows for instant feedback on the progress.
The M.A.I.N.L.Y. sheets are just one helpful tool to use to get those goals in writing. Give it a try and see what it can do for you and your business.
How many of you have a business plan? Notice that I am not raising my hand. I know this is a weakness of mine, but one that I know is essential to long-term success. After all, it can be a very scary thought to put one together. A business plan may sound daunting, but it is really nothing more than written goals, strategies, implementation and a budget. Write your own business plan and update it at least annually. Include "mini-goals" that can be accomplished in a matter of hours, days or weeks as well as the more ambitious "grand-goals" that may take years to complete. Refer to this plan throughout the year.
How about long-term goals. Don't UNDERestimate what you can accomplish in a decade. Think about how far you've come in the past ten years. Think about how far you MIGHT have come in the past ten years if you'd set goals for yourself way back when! So, here's your assignment: take one of your one year goals you have today and stretch it out to ten. What will you look like ten years from now? What will your relationships be like? Where will you live?Where will you work (if at all)? What will your income be? What will your wealth be? Now, take that ten year goal and break it down into what you will accomplish each year. Finally, what can you do TODAY to start you towards that dream?
Can GOALS really help motivate you? Yes! Written goals will make you feel more professional and certainly more connected to your business. It will also free you from having to reinvent your business every single day.
Working Words of Wisdom:
"When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word 'succeed',
you find that it simply means to follow through."
~F. W. Nichol
you find that it simply means to follow through."
~F. W. Nichol
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