It’s hard directing a ship without a map. Without clear goals, you’ll find yourself sitting dead in the water, with no way of reaching land. Even following somewhat audacious goals can sometimes lead to small victories. As an example, Columbus discovered the Americas merely by accident whilst searching for a new route to India.
The same goes for your business. You need to find a general direction that will help you focus on expanding and growing your new enterprise without going too off course.
When you’re ready to start your journey, take a look at these five essential tips on how to reach your desired destination.
1. Set Clear Goals
To score big in business, you must first do your homework. Run an extensive internal and external study to determine which areas in your organization need improvement. For example, consider doing a SWOT analysis to identify your “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” as the acronym implies. This will not only help pinpoint key segments of your business but also reveal any major threats you might face both in and out of your company. Do a full market sweep to discover new market trends and review your past performances to get a general idea about the numbers surrounding your goals.
That way, you’ll set clear and attainable goals for yourself, allowing you to further progress your business instead of just running around in circles, chasing your tail.
2. Write Them Down
If you really want to accomplish your goals, you need to write them down; all of them. You don’t want an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of scenario on your hands. That way you won’t utilize any mental gymnastics and give up on your goals when things get a bit rough. Instead, you want to stay determined and motivated, and seeing those goals written in front of you will help you do just that.
Also, when you write them down — be resolute. Use powerful words that will excite you and drive you forward; as Jedi Master Yoda would say: “do or do not, there is no try.”
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
You can’t expect to know everything. There will be times when you’ll seemingly hit a brick wall with no way around it. Instead of just banging your head against the wall look for assistance! A cry for help won’t make your goals any less astonishing once you reach them. In fact, they will be even more fulfilling as you’ll actually learn something new along the way.
For instance, say you need help establishing your e-commerce platform — consult with a Shopify plus agency and get your design and branding on-point. Creating your own mishmash of impractical design and appalling user-experience will only deter customers away from your online shop; expertise in this area goes a long way.
So, don’t be stubborn and learn when to accept help, and reach your goals in the process.
4. Learn That Failure Is Part of the Process
There will always be ups and downs in business; there’s no avoiding that. It’s all part of the process, so you may as well get used to it. Keep a positive attitude at all times — even when you fail — and don’t let minor setbacks take a hit on your morale. For instance, Steve Jobs got fired from the very company he founded. Yet, after a successful spell at Pixar, he came back as the CEO of Apple; talk about comebacks.
Also, don’t crave for perfection so much; it may well be the thing that’s holding you back. Settle for second-best and simply go on with your life.
5. Celebrate Milestones
It’s all about the baby steps. Throughout your business journey, you will be met with various obstacles and challenges; commending yourself on a job well done is as important as overcoming them. Celebrating milestones — however small — is an excellent way of keeping momentum and launching yourself forward into greatness. Overall, it’s great for staying motivated and you could always use a small break to both refresh yourself and to stay focused on the task at hand.
Throw a party or do something fun for a change — you deserved it.
Follow these tips and you’ll reach your goals in no time; your business will later thank you for it.