Self-Management = Effective Goal Setting

The world is moving fast and it demands that you become a Self-Management expert. The more self-driven and self-accountable you are, the more successful you will be. The first step in self-management is acquiring a proactive mindset. You have to get into the habit of thinking and planning ahead. Gain control of your life and career by thinking ahead as far as you can. Let’s start with planning your goals for the upcoming year.

What do you want and need to achieve?

Describe specific goals for your business and personal life in detail

How you will accomplish your goals? What steps, milestones are needed to get you there?

What resources, support and knowledge will you need to accomplish your goals?

What possible obstacles could get in your way? How you will prevent them from happening?

Be accountable for your successes and failures by mapping out your goals and committing to them in writing. Embrace the opportunity to learn and grow from every experience along the way. Remember, adjustments are your money makers so as you hold yourself accountable expect to make adjustments to stay on track. Life is full of change and it boils down to how quickly and effectively you respond to it. Adjustments are a critical part to the equation of accountability. Don’t give up simply because you have to modify the goal or plan to get there.

Create your future! Don’t wait for it to JUST HAPPEN. It won’t. Make it happen. Understand that you have the ability to make the things you want in your life become a reality.

Look ahead to the end of the year. List the business goals you want to achieve by year end. No matter how insignificant the goal may seem—even if the goal seems easy to achieve—write it down. Consciously plan and hold yourself accountable to every goal you desire.

Be as specific as you can. Treat your brain like a computer. Program it with specific details. What do you want to achieve specifically ? What are the key components? What is the deadline? Describe it in detail. The more specific, the easier it is to achieve.

Here are a few examples …

A promotion into management by November 15

Completion of a specific project by September 25

Hire three new sales professionals or team members by January 15

Participation in training or certification programs March 12-13 in Seattle and June 20-25 in San Diego

Communication skills improved by October 5

Implementation of a new marketing plan by May 10

Increase productivity by 20% starting March 1

Achieve 150% of quota every month

New market penetration in the high-tech industry by November 30

Operational efficiencies increased by 10%

Product launch completed by February 4

Filing/workflow system development by July 12

Happy, high-performance team by year end

Close 3 national accounts in first quarter

Complete the website upgrade by June 15

Increase closing ratio to 2 out of 3

Attend three trade shows by year end

Review and modify your business goals at the end of each month . Keep them at the forefront of your mind. This creates the focus you need to not only achieve your goals but to exceed them.