5 Ways to Stay on Track on your 2019 Goals
Did you know that 80% ofsmall business owners don’t keep track of their business goals? Similarly,40% of people who write their goals down don’t check whether they’ve achievedthem. By now, the new momentum propelled by the new year has started to wane,and it’s important to keep your annual goals top-of-mind to stay on track toreach them. Read on to learn more about small ways to integrate your businessgoals into your monthly, weekly and daily to-do list.
If you haven’t set your 2019 business goals yet, there isstill time. Start by evaluating if you metyour business goals in 2018, or if you missed the mark. Next, determinewhat you want to focus on in 2019, and what KeyPerformance Indicators will help you to measure success. Lastly, understandwhere your business pain points were in 2018, and makea plan for a better 2019.
Develop Monthly (or Weekly) Milestones
If you haven’t done so already, break your annual goals down into quarterly, 90-day increments and evaluate if they are realistic for yourself and your company. From there, identify monthly and weekly milestones that you need to reach to stay on track. These milestones will help you move toward your goals without losing focus on your annual and long-term goals. Milestones are a great way to help you “eat the elephant,” turning your lofty goals into bite-sized, manageable goals.
Timeblock Your Goals into Your Daily Calendar
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
Make each day count towards achieving your goals. What are you doing today to reach your weekly and monthly milestones? While you may currently have a CRM in place to help track sales/leads and create a daily task list, we’ve found that utilizing your default Google or Outlook calendar, where you schedule all your phone calls and meetings, is a great place to also schedule the time to specifically work towards certain goals.
Busy business owners know that if the allocated time is not planned, we won’t get to it! On your calendar, block off some time each day to work ON your business, not IN your business. Color code your calendar to visually see how much time you’ve blocked off to work towards your goal. Hold yourself accountable for honoring your goal-time, don’t put it off or forgo it.
Stay Accountable by Sharing Progress at Weekly Team Meetings
Hold yourself and your team accountable for reaching their monthly milestones by keeping them a topic of discussion during your weekly meetings. Knowing that you’ll have to give a progress update in front of your team will help you curb the urge to procrastinate and stay fully committed to your goals. It’s also a way to check in on your team and make sure they are also working towards success. Turn to each other for guidance and support, and help one another with tips on how to better reach your goal.
Be Honest About What’s Not Working
While tracking and analyzing the progress you’re making towards your goals, you may find that the action steps you’re taking to reach your goals aren’t as effective as you planned. This is no reason to give up on your goals, instead, it is a sign to switch up your strategy. The good news is that you were able to realize this early on. Revisit your weekly and monthly milestones to accommodate for any progress you need to make up for, and try a different way to meet your goals.
Find Someone Outside Your Organization to Help You Stay Accountable
Being a business owner can be a lonely job. As your own boss, it is beneficial to have someone outside your organization to provide you with guidance, support, accountability and encouragement. A business coach acts as a sounding board, a business mentor, a friend to talk with you and provide expert opinions, helping you to solve your problems and turn them into opportunities.
To schedule an annual planning day at your business, or to learn more about Clarity Business Coaching, contact us today!