Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE). She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business. If you're ready to learn business building strategies to help you create more money, time, and freedom in your business, join her members at http://www.iawife.com to receive support, share your vision, and connect with dynamic, wise women. . Sandy's business building articles have been published in "True Wealth" and "Simply Home" Magazines.
If you are a goal setter, you may be thinking about how you're progressing so far. Is life getting in the way? I know it usually does for me. I have my day all planned out, and then I get interrupted by any number of things that all seem important at the time. When the end of the day comes and my to-do list isn't done, it's frustrating and disheartening. So, how do you get to that elusive completion of your goals and intentions, in spite of interruptions?
When you are working on goals that motivate and energize you, the journey to completion becomes a labor of love, instead of a guilt trip. Make sure you are working on goals that are important to you - that will enrich your life for the better. Setting SMART goals will help you decide if your goals are the right goals. SMART goals are:
- Specific - they spell out the outcome you want to achieve. If you to make $1,000,000 in gross sales by January 1, 2015, that's what your goal should state.
- Measurable - There should be a way for you to determine if this goal has been met. In the above example, either you have made $1,000,000 by January 1, 2015, or you haven't.
- Attainable - Do you believe it's possible to make $1,000,000 by January 1, 2015? If you don't believe it's achievable, you will be less inclined to work seriously towards your goal.
- Relevant - Is this goal going to help you live the lifestyle you want to live, or will it cause you to move in directions that are in opposition to what makes you happy? Is the goal relevant to the overall goals for your business?
- Time-bound - By what date do you intend to achieve this goal?
Goals should feel empowering. You should believe they will get you to where you want to be in your business. If you don't believe they will help you move forward, procrastination will most likely be a regular occurrence. Take the time to think about and evaluate the goals you have set, and if they don't feel exciting and achievable, set new goals.
Goals are good to have because they give you a road map, and they point you in the right direction as you go about everyday tasks. But the real question to ask yourself is, "Am I excited and anxious to get to work every day in my business?" If you aren't looking forward to building your business every day, it's time to rethink your goals.
Your life is right here, right now. Don't let your goals become so all consuming that you don't enjoy the daily routine of your life. Like the infamous, late John Lennon told us all, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."
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