Friday, December 19, 2014

Tips for Setting Goals

As the year comes to a close, many of us are planning new goals.  Here are some tips to help set appropriate goals, keep on track, and drive success.

Prioritize 
There are likely a million different goals you want to accomplish from growing sales, reducing costs or losing 10 pounds. You can’t do it all. Too many goals are overwhelming. Prioritizing will allow you to focus to be more successful.

Action Plan
Crafting an action plan of how you are going to accomplish the goal will force you to think of the behaviors, tactics, and resources needed. If the goal is to lose weight, going to the gym three days of week and cutting out dessert would be part of your action plan. If your goal is growing sales, your action plan might include increasing your marketing budget or hiring a new sales rep.  List detailed steps and create a timeline for your action steps.

Involve Others
Goals are rarely accomplished in a vacuum. Others are directly or indirectly influencing your success.  Business goals need group activities and team buy-in to be accomplished.  Personal goals can be encouraged by moral support such as a work out buddy or family plans to eat better. Support systems are vital to keeping focus.

Track
What is measured gets done.  If you measure results weekly, you will know where you are at to your goal.  These results will motivate you to keep on track or redirect your activities for better results.

Evaluate
If you aren't where you want to be, you might need to change tactics.  Increase the days at the gym or cut more calories for weight lost goals.  If your sales aren't meeting expectations, research a different marketing campaign or new sales person.  By examining what is working and what isn’t, you can adjust to guide towards success.

Celebrate
When you reach milestones, celebrate your success.  These can be small things such as a company pizza party or a personal gift you had your eye on.  These celebrations help you stay motivated to push through towards your goal.

Being focus, realistic, and tracking your results will lead to goal accomplishment.  How do you set goals and keep on track?  Share your tips below.