"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
I have been lucky to find work that I really believe is “worth doing”. I find great fulfillment in knowing I am truly helping others and work diligently to make sure the information I provide is of high quality.
To that end, every year I look at what I am doing, personally and professionally, with a fresh perspective. I decide what I am happy with and what I need to change. It is then that I list my goals for the coming year.
While most people practice this reflection at the start of a new year, I choose differently.
For me, the start of a new school year and new beginnings go hand in hand.
This began when my children were younger. I started my business when my two children were 9 and 10. Their summer vacation was my own “down time”.
While I didn’t take the whole summer off, I did scale back. Work for clients did not lessen, but extras like developing new marketing strategies or networking meetings were put on hold.
However, when summer break was over, it was time for all of us to “get back to work”. Despite no longer having children heading back into the classroom, this time of year still feels that way to me.
To make that transition, at the end of every August, I write a new list of goals. This list keeps me on track and helps chart my progress.
When forming my list, I follow these 6 Tips. These steps continue to help me, and I think they will also be valuable to you.
Visualize - Picture yourself in 1 month, 1 year, 5 years from now. Where do you want to be? Now decide how to get there.
Be Specific - The more precise your goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. For example, instead of listing “get new business cards” as my goal, I wrote “consult with Penny on new logo”, “look for small business to design my cards”, etc.
Be Realistic - Understand and recognize that achieving your goals will take hard work. Nothing can be accomplished overnight.
Care - Reaching a goal you really don’t care about is near impossible. Make sure it is something that will truly make a difference to you and your business. It is also important that it is consistent with your core values.
Write Them Down! - Keep your goals handy and read them daily. I type mine on the “notepad” of my laptop and it is the first thing I open up each morning.
No matter when you choose to set your yearly goals, make sure they are in line with the kind of person you want to be and the kind of business you want to run.
If you keep that in mind, you can’t go wrong. I wish you success!
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