How to be the David Beckham of Business (or in other words how to achieve your goals)

.Setting Goals for your Business
Sounds easy doesn’t it? Here are some tips on setting goals you might actually achieve!
For more advice on running small businesses go to www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk

· SMART goals -When setting goals it’s easy to make them too big and too vague. Goals set for anything should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound. Instead of saying “organise the place” try breaking that goal down into something smaller and more concrete. “Take clothes that are too small to the charity shop” or “sort all the shoes under the stairs” gives a solid place to start. Once you have completed these you can then move onto another goal which will take you closer to “getting organised”

· Put In 15 Minutes a Day Once you have identified the smaller steps that might lead you to your ultimate goal, spend 15 minutes a day working on them. You don’t have to spend the whole day on any one aspect. It is easier and more rewarding if you allocate a small amount of time every day, which will lead to the success you want.

· Work With a Friend Most people, whether in business or not, have goals they want to achieve. If you enlist their help to achieve your goals and reciprocate for them, things get done faster and often better. A friend or colleague will often be more objective about things than if you were working on your own.

· Tell Your Friends and Family About Your Plans. If you tell other people about your plans it can have many benefits. Others will hear about your plans and when they ask how you’re getting on it will either inspire you to continue with all your good work or make you re-evaluate your goals if your not getting anywhere with them. Either one is a step in the right direction.

· “Time Bound” Going back to SMART, if a goal is too vague and not bound by a tight time frame it often doesn’t get done at all! It usually works better to set yourself a tight time span rather leaving a broader one i.e. “I’ll get 10 more customers by the end of the month” rather than “ I’ll get ten more customers”. Be tough on yourself and you’ll be amazed at what you can do when you push yourself.

· Make it Black and White If you write your goals down then you can always refer back to them to jog your memory…and your motivation! You have invested time and energy writing your goals down -- what a waste if you didn’t actually go through with them! It is also great to see that piece of paper when you’ve crossed your goals off when they’ve been achieved.

· Review Your Goals Regularly – When you do this you need to ask yourself some questions such as “ why hasn’t this goal been achieved” or “is this still an important goal for me”. If things have changed, then so must your goals and it’s important to concentrate on the important things rather than wasting time on unimportant tasks.

· Learn the words – Remind yourself of your goals every day by turning your most important goal into an easily remembered sentence. This can be made even more effective if it is in the form of an affirmation -- a statement phrased as though you have already accomplished your goal. Repeat this saying when you get up, before you go to bed, and all the way through the day. Post it notes are also a good way of re-training your brain to think in a more positive, goal orientated way.

· Enjoy Your Successes - When was the last time you really acknowledged the fact that you accomplished an important goal? We are all too quick to move onto the next thing on our list without really appreciating what it is that we HAVE achieved. Reflecting on what you have achieved makes for a great “feel good factor”. This will refresh and renew your enthusiasm to continue on with your next goal.

· Pat Yourself On The Back – By attaching a reward to each goal that you set you increase your chances of achieving it. Rewards don’t need to be extravagant to be worthwhile. They can be something as simple as a half hour walk away from your desk, watching TV for ten minutes or even a week’s holiday. Everybody deserves a reward for achieving goals, even if you are the boss!