Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

When I was first introduced to the idea of goal setting it was within a small group at UCLA, where I was a student. The university had broken down all of the first year students into groups of twelve students and one faculty advisor.  No one within my group had ever written down our goals.

The advisor was surprised by this and told us that leaders always thought about their goals and aspirations, wrote them down, and then reviewed them regularly. He added that these goals should be both short and long term and include both personal and academic goals. Goal setting in this manner, according to him, was what separated those who would succeed from those who would struggle throughout their lifetimes.

I was a believer. After being taught the method my advisor had used for decades, I set about the work of choosing some short term goals and pondering on some longer term ones. Goal setting seemed to bring everything into focus more clearly for me at a time in my life where many things were uncertain and out of focus.

During that year my life changed in many ways, and knowing that I had control over much of it based on the goals I was setting and working towards empowered me to reach for more. Now let’s discuss goal setting for entrepreneurs…

Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

Are you a believer when it comes to setting and achieving goals? Here is how to get started, if you are new to writing down your goals regularly…

• Make a list of some things you would like to achieve during the current month. This could be something as simple as walking for thirty minutes each day or as sophisticated as creating a new information product or an online course. Write it down in as much detail as possible so you will remember what you intended when you look at it again. Be sure to write down the date when you will begin and also achieve your goal. With your walking plan the ultimate goal could be to drop a certain number of pounds, to lower your blood pressure to a specific number, or to walk a specific distance or for a specific period of time each day. This is an important part of the goal setting process.
• Now make a to-do list with the steps you will need to take in order to get started with your goals. If you are going to start walking each day this may include finding your sunscreen and hat, buying new walking shoes, asking a friend or neighbor to join you on your daily walks, or something else. For a new product or course this may include choosing the topic, doing some research, purchasing a domain, making an outline, and more. The idea here is to break your goals down into doable chunks that will keep you moving in the right direction so that you can achieve your goal within the time you have allotted.
• Every week at the same time and on the same day review your goals to see where you are. This is not a perfect science, so you will find that you must adjust and course correct your goals often. This is part of the process.
• Celebrate your accomplishments when you reach each phase of completing a goal. This will be excellent for motivating yourself to continue.

This is the goal setting process I was introduced to all of those years ago and that continues to make my life more productive and joyous. And you can see that goal setting for entrepreneurs is no different than goal setting for every other part of your life. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and also any additions you would make to my list.

I’m Connie Ragen Green and I work with new online entrepreneurs to help them get into profit as quickly as possible with information products, affiliate marketing, marketing for small businesses, blogging, authorship, and more. Download your Online Entrepreneur Blueprint and get started right away.