Felicia Brown
Happy New Year! One of the things I love most about the New Year is chance to start a new chapter in life. With the turn of the clock past midnight on December 31st, we all have the opportunity to start fresh in many areas of our lives, to set new expectations and goals for fitness or business and adjust any attitudes that may have held us back the previous year.
But if you are one who sets resolutions or goals and then fails to achieve them for one reason or another, I’m willing to bet the sounds of Auld Lang Syne leave you feeling a different set of emotions than mine. To help you get the outcome you want for any goals or resolutions you’ve set for 2012, I’d like to offer a few ideas to get you moving in the right direction.
Be SMART! The acronym SMART stands for SPECIFIC, MEASUREABLE, ACTIONABLE, REALISTIC AND TIME-SENSITIVE. Simply put, this means putting your goal, such as “Losing weight” or Making more money” into a format that gives it complete clarity. Once you know exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, it will be much easier for you to take actions towards it and get it done!.
Example: Instead of saying “I want to get more clients” try “By December 31, 2012, I will increase my number of facial clients from ten a week (the number I had 2011) to twenty.” The latter statement gives you exact clarity in terms of what you are aiming for and when you will achieve it. Once you’ve made your statement, begin to make a list of the various steps and tasks you can take to make your goal a reality.
Take action daily towards your goal. The size or number of your actions, steps or tasks isn’t necessarily what’s important. Instead it is your conscious willingness, intention and effort to take that action, that obvious step towards your goal on a regular basis. Doing can be what makes the difference between success and failure in achieving your goal.
Example 1: One action you could take towards increasing your number of facial clients might be “attending local networking events.” If so, go ahead and pull out your calendar to pencil in what days the events you want to attend occur for the whole year. This will give you a ready-made “to-do” for a number of days this year.
Example 2: Another possible action that corresponds with the first one is “following up with past clients or people that expressed interest in receiving services from me.” Make a smaller daily goal (and corresponding calendar entry) of “I will call or email five people every day.” Then do it! And use the list of tasks and steps you’ve created for your goal to help you determine other daily actions.
Need help setting goals or growing your business? Visit www.spalutions.com for more information on my Group Marketing Coaching Programs, one-on-one coaching sessions and NEW Marketing Coaching Home Study Kit and Audio Courses (coming out January 31st