I’ll Tell You What Time It Is

What the clock can tell you about goal setting.

There are two ways to measure how correct something is.

First, is it accurate? And second, is it precise?

Here’s what I mean. If you ask me what time it is, I could give you a precise answer. “It’s 10:17am.” That’s definite, but that doesn’t make it right, especially if it’s actually mid-afternoon.

I could give you an accurate answer – “it’s about half past two.” That’s factually correct, but it might not help you if you need to catch a bus.

The most correct answer, the one that’s both accurate and precise, would be the most helpful.

With that in mind, here’s a quick gut check when it comes to goals.

Step 1: Accuracy

Are they your real goals?

Is a 10% increase in year-over-year revenue actually what you want?

Or have you unconsciously looked for what someone else has, what you’ve heard you should want, what feels realistic right now, or what feels like a logical next step?

In other words, are the desires captured by your goals thick or thin ? Do they truly motivate you, are they consistent over time? (Sure, your friend just bought a great car…. But on your deathbed, will you really care whether you got one too?)

Step 2: Precision

Do they give you a next step?

Let’s take a goal of “increase referrals.” (Always a great goal, since referrals are worth their weight in gold.) What happens when you dial up the precision? Something like this:

• Earn 5 direct referrals from our clients in the next 30 days by asking the next 50 clients who they know who would benefit from our services
• Put together a list of 10 potential referral partners in a complimentary industry, and reach out to the top 3 to schedule a networking meeting
• On every customer’s third transaction, tell them about our referral incentive program
• Throw a customer appreciation event, and invite everyone to bring a friend along

With precision, the path to hit the target becomes way more obvious and actionable.

A precise goal that isn’t calibrated to your long-term vision won’t get you to where you want to be. And an accurate goal that lacks precision won’t tell you what action to take to get there.

This Week’s Takeaway

What do you still need to accomplish in 2024?

Can you finetune either the accuracy or the precision of your goals to gain motivation over the last part of the year?

Start Growing, Without Working More

Feeling stuck in daily operations with no time to focus on growth? Struggling with when, who, and how to hire? Juggling too many competing priorities?

Then it’s time to join us for an evening of insight, strategy, and new connections at the charming Port Credit Log Cabin! Join us to learn how to make your business less dependent on you, improve team productivity, and set the foundation for expansion.

We’ll Cover:

??4 ways to build a solid foundation (for limitless growth)

??5 ways to grow your profit (without spending a fortune on marketing)

??4 areas of your business to build leverage (invest in these for a real ROI)

Where:

Port Credit Log Cabin @ The Bradley Museum

October 23rd, 6:00pm - 8:00pm, In-Person

Tickets

$15.00 + HST, Seats are limited!

Click here to learn more and join us in Mississauga!

Indistractable: by Nir Eyal

Indistractable is a guide on how to stay focused in a world filled with noise and distractions. Solving the problem is not as simple as swearing off devices. Abstinence is impractical and often makes us want more. If we want to live the life we aim for, we need to stop doing things that takes us off track and strive to do what we say we will do - through research-backed methods.

Check it out!

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