Did You Forget Your New Years Goals Yet?

I can’t believe it’s already April! The year is flying by. The first quarter just closed and at this time of year I always like to do a little check-up on the goals I set for my business at the beginning of the year.  I want to see how I am measuring up to my written list of objectives.

Sometimes the check-up is a confirmation that the extra work I have done over the last three months is paying off. And sometimes it serves as a rude awakening that I am off track and falling short of my goals.

If after you complete your first quarter business check-up you realize you have gotten off track on your goals, don’t worry. There is still nine months left in the year to regroup, refocus and get back on track to achieving the goals you set for your business at the beginning of the year.

The following is an overview of the goal check-up I performed on my business last week. Try it out on your business.

Revisit and Review

Pull out your list of goals and objectives you set for your business at the beginning of the year. I recommended you keep them close or post them on a wall so you could keep them in mind.

If you never wrote down your goals do that now. It’s not too late! It is important to have them in written form rather than keeping them in your head. When you write your goals out you allow yourself to really formalize what it is you want. Most people communicate best through the written word. It forces a person to clearly articulate an idea as opposed to having a jumbled, unorganized idea in your brain.

It also forces you to hold yourself accountable for your actions. If you have a physical copy of your goals and objectives you cannot deny that you did or did not accomplish them.

If you have not done this step yet go back and review my January 3rd post about achieving your goals to gain more insight into proper goal setting techniques.

While you read over each goal try to remember why you wanted to accomplish them. What was your motivation behind setting each one? What will it mean for your business if you achieve this goal? Sometimes remembering why you wanted to achieve a goal will renew any motivation lost during these last 12 weeks.

If you don’t have clear answers to these questions, chances are you don’t have the motivation to achieve the goal. You need to want this badly. People only put forth effort for those things they truly want to achieve in life.

Track your Progress

Once you’ve reviewed each goal on your list it’s time to see how close or far away you are from achieving it.

Pull out any relevant data you’ll need to assess your progress thus far. Financial statements, production schedules, notes, etc.

If you followed the advice from my January 3rd post you will have made your goal specific enough to be measured. For example instead of saying your goal was to make more money in 2011 you would have put it like this, “Make $50,000 more money in 2011.” Or “Increase my monthly take home pay by $4,200.” It’s important to be precise with your goals so you can track your progress.

If your goal has not been achieved thus far break it down into weekly, monthly or quarterly components. Are you on track to make your goal in the next nine months? Has progress been achieved? The important thing to recognize is if there has been forward movement towards your goal. When you break it down by weeks, months or quarters you will be able to gauge how likely you are to achieve your goal.

This is the time where you need to ask yourself the hard questions. Do not make excuses or justify any deficiencies.  It is so important that you be completely honest with yourself about your progress or lack thereof. Your answers will impact the rest of this check-up process.

Take Action

Once you have determined your success or failure it’s time to make a plan. What do you need to do to stay or get back on target?

The way to do this is to plan out the next several steps you must take. Make the steps small and be specific. Don’t just say, “I need to sell to more people.” Instead say “I need to sell to 20 people a week.” This will ensure your goal is measurable. And working towards a specific number or count is more motivational than a vague statement.

Awhile back I read an excerpt in Entrepreneur magazine that stated you should manage your goals in 24 hour cycles. They are right on target. Break each step you need to take into ones that can be accomplished daily instead of over the course of the next three months. Smaller steps are more easily accomplishable. Decide what small steps you can take each day to achieve your overall goal. Can you talk to a potential new client today or write a new headline or schedule an appointment with a potential partner. Whatever it is make sure each step is manageable to your daily life for added success.

Reward Yourself

The hardest part is getting started. The second step is always easier than the first. If you’ve taken the first couple of steps reward yourself. You’ve made it over the hump and are headed towards success!

For some this exercise will seem discouraging at first. It is necessary to discover weaknesses, limitations and room for improvement. Giving your business a check-up like this once a quarter can shine a light on any goals that need to be modified or areas that need more focus.

Goal setting isn’t a set in stone activity. Your goals can grow and change as your business progresses throughout the year.  As long as you stay motivated and continually work on moving forward you can be sure of the .

Good luck!

Ethan Warrick
Editor & CEO


Most Popular

These content links are provided by Content.ad. Both Content.ad and the web site upon which the links are displayed may receive compensation when readers click on these links. Some of the content you are redirected to may be sponsored content. View our privacy policy here.

To learn how you can use Content.ad to drive visitors to your content or add this service to your site, please contact us at [email protected].

Family-Friendly Content

Website owners select the type of content that appears in our units. However, if you would like to ensure that Content.ad always displays family-friendly content on this device, regardless of what site you are on, check the option below. Learn More



Most Popular
Sponsored Content

These content links are provided by Content.ad. Both Content.ad and the web site upon which the links are displayed may receive compensation when readers click on these links. Some of the content you are redirected to may be sponsored content. View our privacy policy here.

To learn how you can use Content.ad to drive visitors to your content or add this service to your site, please contact us at [email protected].

Family-Friendly Content

Website owners select the type of content that appears in our units. However, if you would like to ensure that Content.ad always displays family-friendly content on this device, regardless of what site you are on, check the option below. Learn More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *