How to set a goal

2021 is just around the corner, and that means it's time to set new goals for your business.

But for those goals to be effective and to bring about real change and progress for your company, they need to be properly planned for. Otherwise, they’re really just a dream.

Setting goals is more than jotting down a list of “things I’m going to do” and then hoping you can figure out how to do them (and not get sidetracked) along the way.

In my 2021 Goal Setting Workbook, I outline the principles of goal setting and the steps needed to take your overall goal and break it down into actionable steps. Those steps are the roadmap that helps get you from day 1 to day 365, and keep you from wandering off course. It’s important that you use a goal-setting process to make sure you’re focusing on getting what you really want to get done, and that you’re setting yourself up for success to do it.

These are the five principles of goal-setting I live by:

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

You have the power to create the business you want. The only thing standing in your way is you.

SUCCESS IS SCIENTIFIC

Everything we use in this process is scientific. We don't use hope accounting or hope marketing - we base every action on previous results.

ITERATION IS KEY

We learn from our mistakes and our successes and iterate them into our future actions.

SMART GOAL SETTING

Goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

REVERSE ENGINEERING

Start with your goal and break down the individual steps needed to get there.

As you start to define your goals for 2021, it's important to ask yourself if they align with your company’s vision, mission and principles. Your company’s vision and mission are crucial to its growth, which means you need to clearly define them if you haven’t already.  

• Your vision is where you want your company to go
• Your mission is how you are going to get there
• Your principles are what your company stands for

Once this is in place, it’s time to look at last year’s results and identify your big hits and your big misses. I’m not just talking about dollar signs here, but the opportunities you took advantage of and the ones that slipped through your fingers. It’s important to self-assess the things you did well and the things you need improvement on, as this information helps to shape the goals you’re setting for the coming year, along with your financial results..

• What was your big win last year?
• Is there room for growth on this win?
• Is it repeatable?
• What was the biggest miss you encountered last year?
• All successful companies will fail. 
• What patterns can you see in those missed opportunities and how can you adapt your goals this year to keep from repeating them?

So, what should your 2021 goals look like?

1. The high-level look: where will you be exactly 12 months from now?
2. The quarterly break down: 4 key actions that are needed to complete that high-level goal
3. 30/60/90 day action items that are your monthly goal roadmap 

Goal setting is a strategic plan to ensure your company stays on track throughout the year, and acts as a playbook to help when situations beyond your control require you to pivot (hello, 2020).

My 2021 Goals Workbook is available for download now. It’s a 25-page guide to help push you to think about your business goals in a strategic way and challenge you to put the pieces together to help next year be your best year yet.

You can grab your copy today by clicking here.