Have you set goals for your business? Today I want to jump on and share how you can start creating smart goals for your business. 

Last week, we talked all about marketing to grow your brand and I shared that we would be following that up with SMART goals this week, so be sure to check out that blog to get up to speed! 

So what exactly is goal setting and how should you be doing it? 

Goal setting is the action of taking your hopes, dreams, and plans for the future of your business, writing them down and creating a tangible plan on how to turn those goals into reality. 

Without setting goals, there is no real way to measure progress and personal success. Your goals are going to keep you accountable and give you a gauge for what still needs to be done in order to reach them. Goal setting also helps to keep members of your team motivated as it gives them something to work towards, so don’t feel like focusing on your goals is selfish. Everyone benefits when you know what you want!  

But it’s really important that you’re not just writing down goals and moving on. You want to be sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.

S = specific.

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general

Goal. To get specific, you must answer the six “W” questions:

Who is involved?

What do I want to accomplish?

Where will I accomplish it?

When will it happen?

Which requirements and constraints are necessary for success?

Why do I need this to happen?

M = measurable 

How will you measure your success? How will you know when you reached your goal? What will that look like?

Measuring your progress helps you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to the continued effort required to reach your goal.

A = attainable 

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. And you can attain almost any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. 

Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image, see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

R = realistic

This is your opportunity to be realistic with your expectations. There is no need to be overzealous here. If your ultimate goal is to open a commercial greenhouse but you’ve never planted a garden before, start with setting a goal to learn how to grow one vegetable at a time before you commit to the end game. 

Spend some time breaking down your goals into attainable chucks and then you will start to see them become more realistic. 

T = time-bound

Any goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it, there’s no sense of urgency and no need to push yourself to achieve it. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it? “Someday” won’t work because you’ll just keep pushing “someday” to the next day. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

As you’re working on your goals, don’t forget that this can be fluid. As your business changes, your goals are going to change. You’ll more than likely need to revamp this and that is totally fine. This is not set in stone, so don’t be afraid to change it as needed.

One of my favorite quotes by an unknown author is, “Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching that goal.”

You do not need to walk away from this blog feeling like an expert goal setter. But you should walk away feeling more confident in your approach to set realistic goals and create a plan for achieving them! I hope this blog motivates you to start creating smart goals for your business. 

For more help on creating goals and seeing results, be sure to check out my course, The Profit Plan! 

For even more content on building a business with the skills and hours you already have, be sure to check out:

The Profit Plan for everything you need to start earning consistent income!

The Business Starter Kit for getting your business off the ground and out into the world!

Join me behind the scenes as a close friend on Instagram @thedirectdish where I’ll be sharing exclusive content every week about growing your business while taking care of your own wellness.