It is hard to believe that we have just embarked on a brand new decade. I don’t know about you but I cannot say or think about the year 2020 without thinking about vision.
Seeing clearly is, of course, very important to our day to day life. It is also essential that you have a clear vision of where your business is headed and where you want it to go.
Three essential steps can help you to turn your vision into a reality: setting goals, creating a plan, and follow-through.
Setting Goals
Achieving anything often begins with a goal.
Do you have goals that you would like to reach this year? Would you like to increase profits? Pay down debt? Be more organized? Work smarter and not harder?
Having your goals clearly defined and documented is the essential first step to reaching them regardless of what your goals are.
Creating a Plan
French writer Antoine de Saint Exupery is credited with saying “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Having a goal is important for motivation and looking at the big picture.
For example, before you decide on a route to take on a road trip, you need a destination in mind. But what would happen if you decided on a destination but never typed that destination into your phone and chose a route? What if you just drove? You would get somewhere, but it would likely not be your desired destination.
Something similar can happen in life. We think about something we want to achieve but we fail to come up with a process or plan. The key to achieving goals lies in our day to day actions and behaviors.
As you think of your goals, ask yourself:
- What actions can I take every day or every week that would take me closer to reaching this goal?
- What processes can I modify that would better serve these goals?
- What behaviors or habits are stopping me from reaching these goals?
Follow-Through
So now you have your goals and you have your plan. All that is left is to follow through on your plan. This can often be the most challenging part of any endeavor.
Is there a person or group of people that you could communicate your goals and plans to that you trust to check in with you periodically? Having someone hold you accountable can be a helpful mechanism to hold yourself accountable.
Keeping track of your progress can also be helpful in maintaining motivation. Apps like Trello or Strides have assisted many in making and progressing towards goals.
Whatever your goals are or how you choose to go about reaching them, it is imperative not to give up. Imagine yourself at the end of 2020 looking back happy and satisfied because that goal you have in your mind right now is a reality. Reach out to us on social media to share your goals for the new year. We believe in you. You can do it!
Updated 12/29/2020