Whether you are starting a business or looking for the next professional challenge, it’s important to keep focused on your goals. Yeah, easier said than done, especially when life takes over and steals your drive and attention. No worries, though, you can always access where you are and refocus on what you truly want at any time. Here are some of my favorite ways to smash business goals.
Smash Your Business Goals: Ask for Help
All businesses and even professionals working in the job market have room to grow. The truth is, we only know what we know. If you want to go beyond your own ceiling, you must seek help. Keep in mind, help comes in many forms. It could be reading a book, asking a friend or colleague, or full out acquiring managed IT services.
Additionally, there are many sources for help such as LinkedIn, Google, Small Business Administration, or a mentor. I recommend that you consider asking for help a practice that brings you closer to your goals. There is no shame in doing what you have to do to move forward.
Smash Your Business Goals #2: Focus on the Bigger Picture
Big picture thinking, especially when it comes to running a business, is essential. Clarity and understanding about what it is you want in the long run will always serve you. Look at it this way: knowing where you want to go enables you to be efficient and faster at reaching your destination- just as though you were taking a trip.
Seeing the endgame clearly also gives you the motivation to perform smaller tasks that you may find mundane or frustrating. Focusing on the bigger picture isn’t just a great way to get you over humps, but it also helps to get you back on track when you feel like giving up.
Smash Your Business Goals #3: Consistent Effort
Unfortunately, consistency trips up many business owners. I know because it was one of my weaknesses. Whenever I developed a plan and actually worked consistency toward it, I succeeded in ways that even surpassed my goals.
Developing discipline is essential for any type of growth, whether it’s personal or professional. Oftentimes, it’s the personal flaws and habits that hinder a business from growing. Don’t be afraid to look at yourself and your lifestyle for clues to what might be holding you back in any area of your life.
One of the simplest ways to achieve consistent effort is to break down the project into small doable action steps. It is also helpful to block out a set amount of time for each step. By having one block of time per day, even as little as 15 minutes can add up quickly by the end of the week. The point is to develop new permanent habits of working consistently and with focus.
Smash Your Business Goals #4: Know that You Will Have Bad Days
Understanding and even expecting there will be days when you feel lost or unmotivated helps you value the human state. Instead of blaming yourself for loss time or feeling guilty, you acknowledge your need for downtime and you allow it. When you have these types of days, it’s essential that you remember the bigger picture we spoke about earlier. We’re all human, we make errors, we fall down, but what’s important is that we pick ourselves up and move forward with a new perspective.