Starting a project, a business venture or even a trip to the grocery store all have one thing in common: You have a goal. Some main goals that you are working towards achieving. The problem is that by looking only at this goal, you can easily become overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to complete this goal. The reason I use the grocery store example to illustrate this point is quite simple actually. When taking a trip to the grocery store, it is extremely beneficial to have a list. A list keeps you focused on budget and saves time. In other words, you’ve set achievable goals. Similarly, tackling a large project with a set of micro-goals gives you a clear roadmap to completion.
Having a large goal or a vision that captures what your completed project looks like is important.
Don’t get me wrong, having a large goal or a vision that captures what your completed project looks like is important. For example, rvResortScout aims to be the largest RV directory in North America, serving hundreds of thousands of customers every year. But achieving this goal is next to impossible without having a clear, defined path. The small steps we have broken our larger goal into have allowed us to keep moving forward and not become overwhelmed by this large task we have set out to complete.
Always Move Forward
So dream big but set achievable goals along the way to keep you motivated. The key is to make these goals hard to achieve but not so hard you become dissuaded by lack of process—one more analogy before we cover how to set these achievable goals. Let’s take going to the gym. Going to the gym is a lengthy process that takes months and even years to see the desired results. But setting small goals along the way will keep you motivated as you work towards your end result.
Recognize Your Main Goal
Understanding your main goal is one of the most important steps when you’re looking to set achievable goals. You might think you have an idea of what your main goal looks like, but until you write it down and conceptualize it, you truly have no idea. Using our gym example, it is easy to say you want to bench press 300 pounds. But there are countless steps you would need to take to get there. Without having a clear-cut plan and understanding your main goal, you will likely never achieve it.
Writing down your main goals allows you to start a very powerful process. Visualizing yourself, completing and understanding the amount of work you have ahead of you. It could pay dividends to write your main goal down and hang it in your office. Looking at your main goal will remind you why you are putting in all this hard work if that’s a bit much for you. Maybe a small sticky note next to your computer at work giving you a gentle reminder from time to time as to what you are trying to achieve.
Set Achievable Goals: Establishing Steps
To get to your main goal, you need to have smaller, easier to achieve goals. These goals should be focused on keeping you on track and keeping you motivated as you work towards completing your project. If your goal is to bench 300 pounds in the gym, it doesn’t make sense to jump straight to 300 pounds with no previous weight training. Doing this could result in a major injury or worse. Likewise, it doesn’t make sense for your first step to be completing your project in business. Instead, there needs to be groundwork laid out that helps you reach your goals.
These are some of the most common steps any business owner will take when starting their business:
- Coming up with an idea
- Becoming a corporation, LLC, or some other legal entity
- Creating a roadmap
- Securing your logo/design work
Each of these steps is a small step along the way. But each one is vital and completing them on time helps you boost your own morale and track your process.
Turn These Steps Into Micro Goals
When you set achievable goals, you will notice that there are several smaller tasks within each goal. These are called micro goals and are essential in helping you move forward. At times certain tasks might seem impossible to achieve. But creating even smaller tasks could be the motivation you need to get going. In the gym, it would make sense to move up in weight in increments of 5 pounds. This gives you a safe and effective way of measuring your process.
In business, the concept holds true. If you take the goals from above, even coming up with an idea can be broken down into a series of smaller steps. These steps can include what industry you wish to focus on, where you plan on selling your service or product, and how you will be delivering your service or product. Achieving these smaller micro goals will help you clarify your vision and keep you moving forward.
Set a Timeline When You Set Achievable Goals
Timelines for any project are important. Hold yourself accountable and be sure to deliver when the due date comes around. Not only does this keep your project moving at a pace you are comfortable with, but it helps track your progress. As you progress along your timeline, you can see your end goal getting closer and closer as you work towards achieving it.
When you plan out your timeline, it is important to factor in some breathing space. Setting your goals too close together can result in you falling behind and your whole project becoming derailed because it now seems too overwhelming to get back on track. This would be similar to a person in the gym trying to complete every exercise in one day. It’s simply not possible. Give yourself time for mistakes. It never hurts when you’re ahead of schedule. But falling behind can be detrimental to your psyche.
Final Tip To Set Achievable Goals
One final tip I will leave you with is the importance of time blocking and using the Pomodoro Technique. You can use this technique to stay on task and accomplish several goals in a relatively short time period. It basically works by using time blocks to achieve a certain goal. You work for a defined period of time, ensuring no distractions come about. Once that time is up, you can then destress for a defined period of time. Sticking to this schedule can be an effective time management tool.
If nothing more, I hope this article gave you some motivation to keep moving forward. Keep setting those goals and reach them using a series of micro-goals. In the comment section, let me know where you are in your business. Are you an established player in your industry or just getting into the door. Regardless of where you stand, I look forward to reading what your next steps are.
