The final quarter of 2017 is upon us. What better time to check in on the goals you set for your business earlier in the year, so you can make one final push to finish strong.
Didn’t set any goals way back in Q1 of 2017? Don’t worry, it’s not too late! Goals to be motivating and practical. They not only help us shoot for the stars but also keep us focused in the here and now. So, why not set some for your final quarter and see what you can make of it.
Here are 3 tips for setting and reaching your goals!
1) Set your goals
In the online world, it can often feel as though our goals are too small if we aren’t shooting for a 6-figure or 7-figure empire in 90 days. Or better yet, if we have no desire to create a course or a product this is often framed as “playing small.”
I know I’ve felt this way and wondered if I was missing something in my goal planning.
Have you?
If you have, here’s the thing to know: everyone gets to build the business that’s right for them, where they’re at right now.
I am quite happy with my entirely service-based business that just turned a year old. I have been consistently booked for the last year and am increasing my revenue month to month.
And even after all my business expenses and taxes are covered, I’m paying myself a very healthy salary.
I’ve also worked very hard over the last year to intentionally create services and processes that make working with clients easier. This means that while my income increases, my workload doesn’t have to.
And for me, this is enough. This is a true measure of success for me.
So whether your goals include passive income or not, courses and products or not, here’s the thing – you get to define your goals and you get to define your success.
There’s also nothing to say you can’t change those goals down the road. I may decide in two years that I do want to create some passive income products even though now I have no such desires.
So as we approach the fourth quarter of 2017, consider what you want to accomplish through your measure of success.
And then work towards that success your way.
2) Find an accountability method
Some of us are excellent goal setters but struggle with the execution and completion of goals. This is where accountability comes in.
Determine how you can hold yourself accountable daily, weekly, monthly and beyond. There are so many ways you can do this but you need to consider what works for you and your personality.
For instance, I joined Susan’s Hyatt’s BARE Daily Community earlier this year to get continued support and guidance so I can reach my goal of getting healthier and fitter while adding more of what I want into my life.
I also have an accountability buddy who is striving for the same. We’re both service providers who focus so much on taking care of clients that we often forget about ourselves in the process. Since we have very similar goals and obstacles, we can (and do!) definitely support one another.
But, as you work towards your goals it’s important to not use them to punish yourself. The kinder we are to ourselves the more we can generally achieve.
And remember, the glorification of hustle is not all it’s cracked up to be — and is in fact often detrimental to actually reaching those goals. Susan Hyatt has a fantastic free training on this she recently highlighted here.
And this brings me to my last point…
3) Be realistic
I had a very productive call with my bookkeeper back in June so we could revamp the rest of my 2017 business budget.
I had some very lofty goals for the second half of the year that I had to reconsider based on some updated priorities in my life that are impacting how I do business.
So what do we do when our goals don’t match reality?
We adjust and refocus the plan to be kind to ourselves in this new reality!
Sounds simpler than it is I’m sure, but it is so important that we not use goals to beat ourselves up. For instance, I had set a goal to sell three Batch With Me’s a month starting in June. And while I’m ecstatic that the service is out there and I’m having lots of fun delivering it to clients, I decided that the marketing plan I created to support that goal simply wasn’t feasible in this new reality.
So rather than beat myself up every month over not meeting that goal, I’ve decided to adjust it and embrace what I can accomplish in the later half of the year.
Sometimes adjusting your goals means refocusing on shoring up operations rather than full throttle marketing and sales. Sometimes it means merely sustaining the status quo rather than shooting for lots of growth.
No matter what the adjustment, being kind to ourselves in the process and making sure we are realistically setting goals is always in a win in my book.
So there you have it, three tips to help you set and achieve your goals for the 4th quarter. Get to it!