Summary
Intrepid Entrepreneur and expert home stager Debra Gould, offers five tips for setting and reaching your business goals.
Business Goal Setting – 5 Tips to Success
Do you find it difficult to stick to a goal because you always lose momentum after the first couple of weeks? (How many years have you been trying to lose those same 10 pounds?)
These five tips will help keep you focused on reaching your goals:
- Write it down.
Whether you want to lose weight, double your income or renovate your kitchen you should put it in writing. You’re much more likely to reach your goals if they’re written down and placed somewhere they can be seen every day to remind you.
- List your past successes.
Before you even start to write down your goals, take some time to write down your past accomplishments. Think back and write down anything you consider a personal success. For example, did you run a marathon, recover from cancer, buy your first house before you were 30, beat out hundreds of applicants for a specific job or to get into a certain school, win an award, raise money for a cause, raise happy and healthy children, start your own business? When you remember all the great things you’ve made happen in your life, you’ll feel empowered and this will put you in the right frame of mind to achieve the new goals you set for your future.
- Be specific.
Don’t set vague goals, be very specific and make sure your goals are realistic, measurable and attainable. If your general goal is to double your profit and you have your own business, be specific about how that could be achieved. For example, “add one more project or client per month and reduce operating costs by 50%.” This puts you in the right mindset to be able to plan how you’ll achieve that goal.
- Tell someone.
Another good way to increase your chance of success is to declare your goals to others and find someone to hold you accountable as you work towards meeting them. But choose who you share your goals with carefully. It needs to be someone who genuinely wants you to succeed and won’t feel insecure or threatened by your success. If you’re trying to grow your own business and you’re surrounded by others on the road to bankruptcy, they’ll be in no position to support your growth. For these reasons, it’s sometimes preferable to hire a coach. Their role is to support your success and motivate you to keep going.
- Use visuals.
You’ve probably heard of a ‘Vision Board’. Maybe you have one or maybe you’ve brushed the idea off. The truth is a strong visual representation of your goals can help you reach them. If you want to start your own business, for example, clip out photos from magazines that represent that to you. Don’t be too literal. Think also of what being in your own business will mean to your income, sense of self and lifestyle. When you look at those images, your subconscious will continue to keep you focused on achieving your goals without you even knowing it.
About the Author Debra Gould
Intrepid entrepreneur, Debra Gould, president of internationally recognized home staging company Six Elements Inc. has no trouble attracting clients. An entrepreneur by the age of 30, she also created The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 1000+ Graduates worldwide, authored several guides and is the founder of the Directory of Home Stagers which helps homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers to decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar.
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