Goal setting has been around for some time and the concept may have passed its sell by date – or has it?

In any business, whether in a large corporate business, a small brick and mortar business or pursuing best business ideas from home, staying the course can be very difficult. You have a vision and inspired by the results that could be obtained should you be successful. This could be to ensure a pay rise, a bonus, increased profits or just something to be gained as a personal achievement.

There are many gurus and books that preach the concept of setting goals to help you stay focused. You may have heard all this before and have an opinion that it sounds great in theory, but in reality is something else. Because of this view, in the business world the concept of goal setting is starting to get a bad reputation. Goals may be set, but very few are actually followed up. Maybe there is a sense of fear – if set then one should do! It becomes a chore forced upon by management. Goal setting is not something people want to do.

Let’s look at goal setting in a different way. Let’s look at the concept of setting objectives and then to establish a strategy in order to meet each objective. An objective is something you really want to achieve. Each objective has one single action that is clear, realistic, measurable, challenging, but attainable. For example: ‘To increase sales by 10% within 6 months’. The objective does not articulate how you will get there but a case of what you aim to achieve.

All the time the objectives must be aligned with your personal brand – being loyal to your personal brand first.

The objectives must be result orientated and not activity based. Stating ‘I will make 10 calls a day’ is activity orientated where as the example above ‘to increase sales by 10% within 6 months’ is result orientated’. Can you see the difference? It’s about what you can achieve as oppose what you can do.

The list of objectives should not be too long and a good guide to this is that you should be able to memorise all of them.

To be able to accomplish each objective, you do need to understand the why? Why do I need to achieve this? The stronger the reason, the better chance you will have in developing a strategy in order to achieve it. Behind each objective is your personal motivation and drive!

Let’s now create a strategy by answering five questions:

1. Identify your most important business objective
2. Why do you work to achieve your objective?
3. What resources will you need to achieve your objective?
4. With your resources, what is your plan of action?
5. How will you measure success for your objectives?

Let’s now look at strategies. This is where you would consider the resources needed to help you on your way to meet the objectives. Whether this be knowledge, training, new software for the computer etc? The strategy will help to define the steps to be taken. These steps could be defined as milestones – activities to be completed on the way to reach your objective. Better still; why not celebrate when each milestone is accomplished.

Your strategies in some cases will need to be flexible and be able to evolve. You will learn on the way so redirecting your plan is part of the course. Remember, there will be successes as well as failures.

On your journey, it is important to occasionally sit back and take an overview. Get out of the trench and hover above where you are at. This is a good way to keep proactive as you will be looking at where you are and where you need to be. You can make adjustments accordingly. What generally happens if you do not take the time to reflect is that you will end up in crises mode – being reactive.

Remember though, ‘you can’t control what you can’t control’.
 
Throughout, stay true to the very reason why you are aiming to achieve each objective, but ultimately the strategies to help you reach your goal!

My name is Gary Oakes and I know we can all aspire to achieve better things. It may be a case of changing direction and doing something you have never done, but always dreamt of. If this is the seed, then let me feed you and help you grow. I’m helping people to think positively about the future. I’m a believer that people can find a way within to pursue an idea and a vision. We all have the ability to take control of our lives, but many just don’t know it.

I’m giving away free material to help one get started in an enterprise to starting a business working from home. By following some really simple techniques, the journey starts by following the link to best business ideas from home.

It does not cost you anything to view the free material, and you never know this might be the very thing you are looking for.

The Wright Brothers got a result by being passionate to reach their goal. They understood their Why! The same mentality exists today. If you put your mind to something, become passionate and committed, then there is no reason why you could not be successful with your Ideas Working From Home. So how can you be successful managing your own home based business and reap the rewards? 

Let’s start with a story behind the Wright Brothers.

The goals were ambitious, the public interest was high, experts in the field were gathered and the money was readily available. All the ingredients was present to make this special project a success. Back in the early 1900s, Samuel Pierpont Langley set out to be the first man to pilot an aircraft. He was educated at the Boston Latin School, graduated from the English High School, became an assistant in the Harvard College Observatory and became chair of mathematics at the United States Naval Academy.   

To help with the mission, he was enriched with the most powerful people in government and had a business grant in the region of $50,000 to fund the project.

The press followed him everywhere, riveted by this story as it was unfolding. “When would Samuel achieve his goal?”

With his team and resources, he was guaranteed to succeed – or was he?

A few hundred miles away, Wilbur and Orville Wright were also working on their flying machine. There was no press, no grants and no high connections. They were looking to succeed through their passion - the passion to fly.

As their passion was so intense, they were committed to succeed. The rest is now history. On 17 December 1903, the first manned flight was witnessed. The Wright Brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.

This was not down to luck, but inspiration. Both brothers had high working ethics, were highly motivated and worked well as a team. Between the Wright Brothers and Samuel Pierpont Langley, only the Wright Brothers were inspired. They started each day with the why in mind and not the glory.

So where is this all leading? What about if you are in a situation where you passionately really want to do something different, have acknowledged you have reached a point in your life when enough really is enough and seriously want to change your lifestyle. If you are feeling this way then you are mentally prepared to do something different. Sometimes success comes with the best small business idea. So what’s next?

Working for yourself and reaping the rewards is not only possible, but probable provided you are committed, and if you need help starting a small business then learn how to become motivated. What a difference this would make to your life.

It was this focus, tenacity and being creative that drove the Wright Brothers to their success. They weren’t just going through the motions; they were living and breathing it as a way of life. Do you see the comparisons? It’s this mentality that drives people from staying where they are to doing something life changing.

So do you feel up to the challenge? Do you feel you are one of those 3% people who really want to take charge of your own destiny? If so, what is stopping you!

My name is Gary Oakes and as a business coach, not only am I helping people to market their businesses effectively on the internet, but encouraging people to start. I’m a believer that people can find a way to build a small business in their own time, to think positive and aim for a vision and dream. We all have ideas and the ability to take control of our lives. I’m giving away free material to help one get started in any small business looking to market on the internet. Follow some really simple techniques. Start your journey by following the link to Ideas Working From Home.

It does not cost you anything to make enquiries, and you never know this might be the very thing you are looking for.