It happens every year.
Well, at least for 92% of us it does.
You take the time to make a list of goals and resolutions for the new year ahead. You care about your business and you want to see it grow and thrive. But as days turn into weeks, before you know it an entire month has flown by and you haven’t taken one actionable step towards your big goal…oh, and all of us are already back to eating carbs again.
Better luck next year, right?
Wrong. This is 2018. Twenty-GREAT-teen if you will. (Still on the fence about that one, but we’re goin’ with it for now.)
But more seriously, we get it. Life never slows down. You’re trying to keep your business running smoothly, and new goals and objectives inevitably take the back seat to the needs of your clients, making sure payroll goes out, bringing in new business, and the dozens of other tasks that have to be done each day. But you made those goals for a reason, and it’s not too late to get back on track and make them happen!
So while only about 8% of people typically keep their New Year’s Resolutions, with a few focused steps and a little motivation, we’re confident that we can easily boost that stat and be well on our way to our best year yet.
Revisit your goals
The first step towards accomplishing your business goals is the easiest one: just look at them again! So, open up that document from your New Year vision session. Bring out the notebook where you jotted down your late night hopes for your business this year. Take a moment to look at the goals that you set at the beginning of the year, and watch your motivation to make them happen reignite.
As you look at your goals, re-evaluate them using one very important filter: making sure your goals are SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.
“The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.”– Seth Godin
Take action: What are your SMART 2018 business goals?
Make your task list
“Increase revenue by 20%,” won’t get you very far without an actionable task list to help you get there. A task list takes one large, year-long goal and makes it attainable and realistic. Each item on that list is a tiny obstacle that must be overcome in order to achieve the larger goal, and checking items off a list is as rewarding as it is motivating. If this seems overwhelming at first, break up the journey to your goal into milestones. Then create your task lists to allow you to hit each milestone with ease and prioritize those tasks in an efficient way.
“I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through–then follow through.” —Edward Rickenbacker, World War I fighter ace
Take action: What steps are necessary to accomplish each of your goals?
Set deadlines
Tasks are just a list of things you want to eventually do unless you set deadlines for each item on the list. Take the task list you just wrote and set realistic deadlines for each item. Making these items time-bound is especially important if you consider yourself a procrastinator. If there’s no deadline, it probably won’t happen.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer
Take action: What date do you need to finish each task and milestone in order to accomplish your goal by the end of 2018?
Ask for help
We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Often, we allow our limitations to prevent us from achieving our goals. The truth is, not everyone can do everything. There are times we must get some help with checking the tasks off the list. Whether it’s an employee that you can delegate items to, or a 3rd party agency you can hire to take care of items outside of your skill or knowledge-base, make sure you are playing to your strengths and delegating when necessary.
“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”-Jeff Bezos
Take action: What are the items on your list that you’ll need help accomplishing? Who can help you do them?
Make it happen
Sometimes we allow fear, time limitations, or just general lack of focus or motivation keep us from doing what we want and need to do. There comes a point where we just need to do it. We can plan and dream and prepare, but none of it will happen if we don’t make it happen.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”– Walt Disney
Take action: What have you allowed to hold you back from accomplishing your goals in the past? How can you make sure that doesn’t get in the way this year?
So here’s to not giving up in 2018. Let’s do this.