You like big goals and you cannot lie.

You have audacious aspirations for your business, and you are committed to bringing your vision to life. Now it’s time to create a strategic plan to turn your ambitions into achievements and start taking intentional steps towards claiming your goals.

Maybe it looks like…

⇒ Signing another ten clients before year-end

⇒ Automating your workflows to create efficiency and spaciousness for your team

⇒ Recording your most profitable Q4 to date

Whatever your objective, you need to get crystal clear about what it’s going to take to get you there.

“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”  ― Greg Reid

How to Set Yourself Up to Win

I’ve coached hundreds of business leaders, from restaurateurs and real estate mavens

to marketing geniuses and C-Suite Executives of Fortune 500 companies. And I’ve learned a thing or two about effective goal-getting along the way.

If breaking your big picture vision down into actionable steps leaves you feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. I’m going to walk you through six simple steps to break any goal down into an effective action plan tailored to achieve your objective.

Before we get started, I want to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success with WINNABLE goals. That means setting goalposts that are challenging yet achievable–without grinding yourself to exhaustion. 

Building your business is a journey of growth. Use your goals to forge a path of milestones to get you where you want to go. 

The 6 Steps to Effective Goal-Getting

STEP ONE: CLAIM YOUR GOAL.

What goal feels purposeful, meaningful, and impactful to you? Name it. 

If it’s your most profitable Q4 ever, what does that look like? 300K? 500K? Your first million-dollar quarter? 

Write it down. Dive into the details. Picture it in your mind. Let yourself feel the win.

If you’re feeling stuck from the start, spend some time considering what landmarks lie between where your business is and where you want it to grow. What stepping stones to success need to be recognized? What achievements along the way feel worthy of celebration?

STEP TWO: SET THE BENCHMARK.

How will you measure success? Year Over Year Sales? KPIs? Bonus payouts? Employee Turnover? 

If your goal is less than tangible, ask yourself, “How will I know I’ve made it there?” 

What will I be doing? How will I feel? What will I have? Where will I be? What will a day look like? 

Pick some pieces that can be measured and use those as a barometer.  It might be the difference between dragging yourself out of bed every morning and waking up well-rested, looking forward to the day. Track when you wake up on the Carpe Diem side of the bed for a period of time, and measure the frequency to chart your progress.

STEP THREE: BREAK DOWN THE STEPS TO SUCCESS.

Outline the steps you need to take to get from where you are to knocking this milestone off your list. (And celebrating it!)

Get clear on what needs to happen first. If you’re automating your client onboarding workflow, detail what the process currently looks like.

Coaches Tip: If starting at the beginning isn’t working for you, or you find yourself with gaps where you aren’t sure what needs to happen, try working your way back from the end goal to shed some light on what you’re missing.

STEP FOUR:  ESTABLISH A TIMELINE.

Break your action plan down into 30 – 60 – 90 day goals. Create clear expectations and standards. 

⇒ What does success look like at the end of each week? Each month? 

⇒ What major steps do you need to tackle first? 

⇒ What seemingly minor pieces are important prerequisites to your success?

STEP FIVE: CHECK AND ADJUST.

Track your progress and any insights you uncover along the way. Give yourself permission to get it wrong and try again. Stay flexible and open to unexpected opportunities.

STEP SIX:  CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS.

Don’t wait until your objective is complete. From the baby steps of slogging through the hard work to record sales on the days you just can’t lose, celebrate the giant wins and small gains until you’re claiming that big, bold goal of yours for your very own.

Put Your Goals in Perspective

Setting ambitious, empowering, personally meaningful goals is about creating a foundation to catapult you and your dreams to success, step by step.

Still, sometimes life happens while we’re busy making other plans. Unexpected events create a shift in your trajectory. New opportunities open up new possibilities. Give yourself permission to correct your course if that happens. 
Remember: Your goals and your plan to achieve them are about building a business that you’re proud of and living a life that you love to lead. Keep that in perspective and let it be the anchor that grounds you as you grow.