The start of every year is an excellent time to sit down, evaluate your personal goals, business goals, and devise a plan. In a previous blog, we discussed why goal setting is crucial to your business as well as what types of goals you should set for your business. Let’s dive into a 10-step process on how you can achieve your goals this year!
1. Define Your Goals Clearly
You must be specific about what you want to achieve. Use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to ensure your goals are well-defined and realistic. Here is an example:
Increase revenue by 10% in the third quarter by targeting new customers who are seeking OTR services that we now offer.
Read our blog here on how to create SMART goals.
2. Be Honest
We create goals for many different reasons, but not all goals are right for us. Ask yourself these questions before adding a goal to your list.
Do I want to pursue this goal?
Do I have any resistance toward pursuing this goal?
Am I motivated to pursue this goal?
Do I want to take the steps involved to accomplish this goal?
3. Set Priorities
You will need to prioritize your larger goals based on their importance and urgency. Focus on high-priority tasks while ensuring alignment with your overall objectives.
CAUTION: Don’t pursue too many goals at once! Research shows that picking 1 goal at a time for a specific period (typically 12 weeks) is the most effective method for success. This is not always the most realistic method in a business setting, but consider slimming down how many goals you work on at once.
4. Identify Obstacles
Anticipate potential challenges and obstacles. Develop strategies to overcome them and stay resilient in the face of setbacks.
5. Create a Plan
Now comes the fun part! To achieve your goals, you will need to develop a detailed plan outlining the steps you need to take to achieve each part of your goal. Include deadlines, milestones, and resources required. Consider describing how many hours per day, week, or month you will need to work on each goal to achieve them. If possible, set goals into 12-week or quarterly periods.
6. Break Down Larger Goals
If your goal is significant, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This makes the goal less overwhelming and allows you to track progress more effectively.
You will need to identify each sub-goal and prioritize them to identify which are more critical for achieving the larger goal or which sub-goals need to be completed to move on to the next. Get as specific as possible! List out the specific, actionable tasks required to achieve your sub-goals.
7. Seek Support
Share your goals with others who can offer support, encouragement, and constructive feedback.
CAUTION: Research varies on the impact of achieving a goal if it has been shared with other people. A recent study shows that “the positive feedback that we get from others when we announce that we’re going after a goal activates certain reward systems and motivation systems within our brain that then quickly dissipate and then diminish the probability that we’ll engage in the type of behaviors that actually lead us to achieve that goal” (Huberman Lab, 2023). In other words, there is a possibility that announcing your goals to others could work against you. But take this with a grain of salt! Do what works best for you.
8. Start Taking Action
This is probably the hardest part of the process. Start taking tangible steps toward your goals. Procrastination can be a significant obstacle, so you may need to find creative ways to initiate action even if it's a small step.
If you feel highly motivated to pursue your goal, spend a few minutes a day visualizing the end in mind. Allow yourself to step in the shoes of your future self who has achieved their goals. What does it feel like? What is the outcome? Science shows that this visualization exercise is an excellent way to start the work for pursuing your goal and will help maintain motivation for those already highly motivated.
If you are struggling to take action toward pursuing your goal, you should spend a few minutes a day visualizing what it would feel like to NOT achieve your goal. What would it feel like to fail? What will be the outcome if you don’t achieve your goal? This is another method of motivation for those who are not initially motivated to act.
9. Visualize and Monitor Progress
You should regularly assess your progress against the plan. Create a visual progress monitor whether it’s a written list you cross off or an elaborate spreadsheet you track your progress in. This is an important part of accomplishing your goals and staying organized!
10. Celebrate Achievements – Randomly!
This may sound odd but celebrate milestones randomly. Science shows that rewarding yourself after every goal-oriented session can be detrimental to your success, but failing to ever reward yourself can also be damaging. Let a flip of a coin determine if you will be rewarded for reaching that milestone!
That’s it! Easier said than done, right? While it may take some practice, following this 10-step method will improve your ability to set goals and achieve them. Now, go make it happen!
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Soshaul Logistics LLC and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. It is meant to serve as a guide and information only and Soshaul Logistics, LLC does not assume responsibility for any omissions, errors, or ambiguity contained herein. Contents may not be relied upon as a substitute for the FMCSA's published regulations. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction or operation.