5 tips to approach goal setting

Hands-up if you’ve written out your quarterly business goals, decluttered your inbox, spruced those terms and conditions whilst holding down some semblance of a healthy lifestyle? Nope, me neither. I think we can all agree the start of 2021 has been a strange one.

Last year, I bought a ridiculous-sized diary which had goal setting prompts throughout, which I used for all of January, February and March…and then stopped. Work ramped up and my focus shifted onto my clients’ goals. So this year, if you’re like me and want to get organised, here are some approaches to goal setting I’ll be implementing moving forwards.

Tips from fellow business owners

There are plenty of online guides and books about goal setting and generally, advice can boil down to personal preference so I recommend doing some research about business owners in your sector that you respect or aspire to. Whether you’re a shop owner, yoga teacher, accountant or care company - goals and routines will differ slightly for each but ultimately, they’re about satisfying the customer, streamlining business processes and meeting those financial targets.

Here are some tips that should benefit you, regardless of what sector you work in:

  1. Make sure your goals are realistic.

    Both in terms of what you want to achieve, and also the time you give yourself to achieve it. Failing to accomplish unrealistic goals can be a huge blow to your self esteem, self worth and motivation. So be sure to challenge yourself, but make sure it is possible to achieve. And a little bonus tip - add some easy wins in there too, so that you get boost of dopamine when you cross them off.
    - Shared by Grace Ashton, a Brand and Marketing Consultant and Founder of One Faced Brands

  2. Keep those goals some place handy!

    Display your goals in an easy-access, obvious place such as your daily Trello board, notebook, or even pinned up next to your desk. Check in with your goals regularly - it's a living document. The constant reminder of what you're working towards will help to keep you focused. - Shared by Veronica Wood Querales, Founder of Into The Woods Marketing

  3. Filter goal priorities using the ‘traffic light’ method to goal setting

    This is particularly useful if you’ve got a busy week or month ahead which might lead to overwhelm. To do this, start by making a list of everything you need to achieve that week or month (including both work and personal tasks) and split into three groups: Routine/Necessary & Pleasurable. Then, within each of those groups, rank all listed tasks in terms of difficulty – labelling red, orange or green accordingly. Next, using your weekly or monthly planner (I create my own weekly diary in Excel for this) plot out your week or month, starting with the routine actions you need to complete and building out with necessary and pleasurable tasks from there. Ensure you are only taking on MAXIMUM one hard task a day and filling the rest of your day with medium/easy tasks and making time for pleasurable activities too! It takes a bit of work to plan but once complete, your working week will be much easier and to manage and your goals should be easier to achieve.
    - Shared by Victoria Baker, Founder & PR Director of VB Communications

  4. Include personal goals

    Life isn’t all work, work, work, after-all. Personal accomplishment will only serve to boost your performance as a business owner.

  5. Diarise regular reflection sessions.

    It’s all very well writing down a solid plan and carving out your monthly, quarterly, yearly goals, but how will you keep yourself accountable? Schedule regular sessions to monitor goal progress or review with your business partner, fellow business owners or even bounce ideas off your friends/family.

Self-employed or employed, goal setting is a productive habit for everyone

Goal setting resources

  • Wall planners and planning pads - I stumbled across these from Business Coach Josephine Brooks for those who like to get visual with their planning.

  • Quarterly Goal Workbook - freebie offered by SEO specialist , Moxie VA

  • Cashflow and forecast documents - useful if your goals are influenced by income. Kate Woosey, a Financial Planner has provided useful templates with formulas, you’ll have to signup to her newsletter to get access to them.


What do you swear by when it comes to goal setting? Or perhaps you need some support with regards to your marketing strategy and content? Drop me a note on email - info@lucywoods.com


Bryony Melhuish

Creative brand + web studio for businesses that want to go place.

https://www.shiiftcreative.com
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