A goal without a plan is just a wish. How to set long term goals and achieve them.

Why have goals?  A clear set of goals gives you a destination for which you can then design a route map to get you from A to B, rather like a satnav in your car.  Have you ever looked at a friend or family member and admired the fact that they have accomplished something that they have always wanted to?  Perhaps it was buying property to let out, trekking to Machu Pitchu, or owning a luxury car.  If you were to ask them how they achieved their goal I bet they would tell you that they had a long term plan that helped them get there.

Setting long term goals can be quite daunting, and as it is an area that many business owners struggle with I thought I would use this blog post to set out some top tips that might help you.  You may also like to keep in mind this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that says “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  Do you want to be forever wishing, or would actually achieving be more satisfying?

  1. Start by asking yourself where you would like to be in 10 years time.  Start with the end in mind. In order to do this it is important to consider what you would like to be doing work wise, where you want to live, do you want to spend more time with your family, what sort of car would you like to drive, remember to include any other questions that are important to you.
  2. Create a set of goals that will get you there.  Easier said than done I know, once you have an idea of the type of future you want you can start putting together a list of goals that will help you get there.  If you want to live in a larger house then your goal will most likely include growing your business to make more profit
  3. Set out a series of specific goals.  These goals are the small steps that you’ll need to achieve in order to reach your end point. For example, 1, 3, 5 and 10 year goals.  Eat that elephant a chunk at a time in a structured way. Areas to set goals could be, for example, financial, systems, team. It is important to include time frames for achieving these goals as working backwards they tell you when you need to start working towards your goal and then you can list the activities needing to be done and by whom.
  4. Break your goals down into short and long term.  If your goal is to get fitter then losing a stone might be your short term, whilst getting fit enough to climb to Mount Snowdon, is more long term.
  5. Is your goal realistic.  Once you have come up with your long term goals it is important to reassess them and make sure that they are achievable, even if they will require a lot of work or effort to get there.   
  6. Focus on one long term goal at a time.  Life is stressful enough without overwhelming ourselves.  This means that you will be totally committed to achieving that goal and therefore the likelihood of you accomplishing will be greatest.  Keeping your other long term goals under review will help you to prioritise the ones that are the most important for you to complete.
  7. One small step at a time.  Breaking your long term goals down into small more manageable ones will help you to focus on them.  It will stop you feeling daunted by the challenge you have set yourself and make it more likely that you will achieve.
  8. Set yourself a timetable for achieving your short and long term goals.  Giving yourself a timescale helps you to focus and commit to the goals you have set.  Setting small achievable deadlines will keep you on track giving you the incentive to carry on.
  9. Self-discipline is key.  Whether you achieve your goals or not is down to you.  Focus on starting rather than finishing.  It is often more challenging to start something than complete it, once started a project often takes on its own momentum and is finished more quickly than you thought it would be.
  10. Regularly review your progress.  Track your progress to achieving your goal, this is where working with a business coach can really help, to hold you accountable and on track.

 

If this subject resonates with you and you would like to explore it further let me know and we can arrange a telephone call to see if business coaching would work for you.  Click here to send me an email or give me a call on 07952 112432