If you really want to achieve the success you are capable of in your business and to start working with more ideal clients, this one concept could help.
As management guru Peter Drucker said:
“When a company succeeds, it’s because of a ‘mono-maniac on a mission’.”
In other words, the person at the top knows EXACTLY what they want to achieve and is focused entirely on that.
Being specific about the desired outcome is important whether you are setting the objectives for a marketing campaign or deciding what car you want to drive next year. Without this clarity, you lack direction, it is hard to make decisions and the results end up being average at best.
On the other hand, clear objectives provide the basis for great results. So the ability to set good goals could be worth a fortune to you and your business. And it�s a remarkably easy process if you follow these simple steps.
Step 1 – Decide Where You Want To Go
Do you want to be like a light bulb, which disperses energy all over the place, or a laser, which focuses the same amount of energy on one spot and can achieve very powerful results?
Chances are you will achieve better results by having the focus of a laser. Truth is most people don’t even bother with goals and objectives. But many of those who do make the mistake of using very vague statements that are rich in good intentions.
Something like: ‘I want to make twice as much money this year’. For a goal or objective to be useful, it has to follow the SMART formula.
S
- The more specific they are, the more chance there is of them happening.
- To help you stay focused on them, they need to be simple.
M
- They need to be measurable so that you will know when you achieve them
- Goals should be meaningful to you – not what you think will impress others.
A
- Goals should be ‘as if now’ – expressed in the present tense.
- They should be achievable – i.e. physically possible.
R
- They need to be realistic in the sense that you believe it is going to happen.
- And they should be responsible – having no negative impacts on you, others or the planet as a whole.
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- Goals must be timed with a specific date when they will be achieved.
- And they should be moving towards what you want instead of away from what you don’t want.
An example of a SMART goal would be: ‘It is December 31 2022 and I am holding in my hand a bank statement that shows that I have earned $200,000 from my business this year (after all expenses).’
Step 2: Decide on the First Step and Take Action
Often the most important step towards a goal is the first one. For many people, this can be the most difficult issue – because they want to get everything right.
But in these early stages, don’t overanalyze – just get the ideas out and then start refining them. Mike Litman, success coach and author of ‘Conversations with Millionaires’ puts it very bluntly:
“You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.“
In taking action, one of the things you are doing is training your mind and your body to get used to successes. Once you have a goal, you also have to take 100% responsibility for it – even though you may be relying on other people to deliver parts of it.
The disadvantage of taking responsibility is that you cannot blame anyone else if you don’t get what you want. But you will give yourself a much bigger chance of success.
Step 3: Get Feedback
Once you’ve started moving towards your goal, commit yourself to monitoring how other people are responding to what you are doing. If it appears you are not getting the result you want, something needs to change.
The exact aspect that needs to change will depend on the individual circumstances. Sometimes in business this means you need to change your marketing so that you promote your message differently. Other times, you will need to make more fundamental changes such as altering your product or service. The way you obtain and respond to feedback is one of the key drivers of your eventual success.
Step 4: Celebrate Success
Without a clear sense of direction at the beginning, you will never know what success looks like. And, of course, until you take the first step, there is nothing for people to give you feedback on so that you can build. But if you follow this simple process, you are guaranteed to develop good goals and objectives. So there is a much higher chance of you achieving the success that you want.
Action
- Think about what you want to achieve in your business or personal life.
- Have you written it down? If not, do so now using the SMART formula.
- If you’ve already got written goals, do they follow this approach? Have you taken the first step and what process do you have in place for getting and responding quickly to feedback?