Goal Setting: Turning Your Vision Into Reality

11.07.11

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Ready, Set, Goals …

Position yourself for success. Set realistic goals – you can overshoot a little, but not so much that there’s no way you can achieve them. Then, look at them regularly, so you stay on track.
 

Setting Goals

  • Write down what you want to achieve. Everything.
  • Separate your goals into list two lists: personal goals and professional ones.
  • Then, review your lists and prioritize. Pick the top three things to achieve this week, this month, this summer, and this year. The little goals you set should work towards the big picture.

 

Personal Goals

In order to be successful in business, it’s essential to put your personal life in order.

  • How’s your living situation? Do you have a difficult roommate? Inconsiderate neighbors? If that’s the case, finding a new place to live should be Goal One.
  • Is your home office a mess? Do you even have a home office? Putting your workspace together should be a top priority.
  • When was the last time you took a real vacation? Saving money, so you can treat yourself to a few days away, is a good three- to six-month personal goal. It will leave you refreshed and ready to “take on the world.”

 

Professional Goals

What do you need to do to achieve your business success? Here are some examples.

  • Goals for the Week: Get business cards, register a domain, start a blog.
  • Monthly Goals: Develop a new logo, redesign your blog, attend regular networking events.
  • Summer Goals: Write a business plan or the first draft of a book, create a new product.

 

Remember, goal-setting isn’t something you just do at the beginning of the year. Take a goal inventory regularly … adjust if necessary. And always keep your eye on the prize.
 
 
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Debra Eckerling

Debra Eckerling, GuidedGoals.com, works with individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to set goals and manage their projects. She is the creator of Write On Online, a website and community for writers, and has been a speaker at the #140conf State of Now, the #140edu conference, Social Media Club LA panels, and the Mediabistro Social Curation Summit.

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  • http://twitter.com/WriteOnOnline Debra Eckerling

    Entrepreneurs, what are some of your short-term and long-term goals?

  • http://twitter.com/GoalsOnTrack Harry Che

    Great post. Love the goal examples!

  • http://twitter.com/WriteOnOnline Debra Eckerling

    Thanks so much! Good luck with your goals!

  • Billie

    Thank you so much for posting this! Recently a very senior person at work told me to write down my goals and carry them with me. It sounded simple enough but when I sat down to write, it wasn’t so easy. I appreciate that this post provides a good framework for goal setting. It was easier to get something down on paper by organizing my goals as the post suggested. Thanks again!

  • http://twitter.com/WriteOnOnline Debra Eckerling

     You are welcome. So happy that my post helped. Best of luck!

  • Sylvia Browder

    Very informative article, Debra. Goal setting motivates you to achieve what you want, both personally and profesionally.  These tips are timely.   

  • http://twitter.com/WriteOnOnline Debra Eckerling

    Thanks, Sylvia! Best of luck on your goals!

  • http://twitter.com/ChicWorkingMoms ChicWorkingMoms

    Great post! That’s exactly what I had to do in order to push through and launch my blog otherwise I wouldn’t have ever finished it. It’s so easy to get swept away with other things and every day life. This reminds me of the saying that’s it’s easier to eat an elephant in chunks rather than trying to swallow the thing whole.