- Published on November 28th, 2016.
I'm sure by now most of you have gotten the message of some of my previous newsletters - it is imperative to set yourself goals and objectives to conquer. A plan without goals is not a plan, and it is good practice to remind yourself of these goals daily. And just to recap, sub-goals provide a way to reach your over-arching objectives one step at a time. Expanding on this, below are some motivation and advice to continue to push forward to the year end and finish strong.
Probably the biggest obstacle blocking your path is you! It is a sweeping statement to make, but a clear fact when working for yourself. As a business owner, no one is there to check your progress daily, and we are all victims of allowing time to slip away, or delay things that should take priority. The popular saying "tomorrow is the day that never comes" applies in this context more than anywhere else, it is one thing to set goals and sub-goals, that is the first step. But it is a whole new challenge to take action on them daily. That is why reinforcement - writing them down daily - is a must.
We are faced with many different tasks every week. If we were to break these tasks down into different categories, they could fit into categories such as urgent, important, and extra tasks. For instance, a family emergency is both important and urgent, but calling a close friend back to discuss vacation plans could be important, but not urgent. Remove the extra tasks and focus purely on the main, important goal of your business for an extended period of time. For example, let us say your goal is to simply grow your business. To translate, anything that does not directly relate to increasing revenue should be deemed unimportant. For this example, with every decision, ask, "will this help increase sales?" If the answer is no, consider putting it off or outsourcing the task. Obviously you need to continue to work on current customer's needs - but this filtering process can help remove many distracting "tasks" that can otherwise block up valuable time. Don't wait until tomorrow!
Lastly, the holiday season gives you an opportunity to relax and enjoy family. Perhaps you will go on vacation, travel, or simply take it easy. There is valuable time in these weeks, however, and while approaching, the holidays are still weeks off. Finish the year out strong. While many players in your industry may begin relaxing early, you can gain the upper hand by continuing to expand. Let other businesses retract, you use the calm December month to keep moving forward strong. At the end of year, I will follow up with an article about your resolutions for the coming year, but for now, keep pressing forward, and remember to keep your goals clear and in front of you.
Common Sense Business Solutions has been helping small to medium sized businesses in Tampa Bay and beyond since 1993. Call 813.661.0049 to learn more about goal setting and taking your business to its greatest potential.