5 Top Tips for Setting Goals and Sticking to them

Business owner and ‘Top Gun Leader’ with The Body Shop At Home, Brooke Goodall (pictured), shares her top tips for setting goals and sticking to them.

Goal setting is an ongoing activity and critical to the success of any business venture; new or old. Like most things in business, setting goals is a process, which starts with determining your aims and following the road to accomplish them. Sometimes the path towards your goals won’t be easy (it can be a bumpy ride!), so it’s key to stick to your commitments and stay positive along the way.

Here are a few tips to help you set goals that you can actually follow through!

1. Make your goals measurable
It’s simple ‐ the more realistic you make your goals, the more you will achieve. Make your goals measureable; try and be specific with dates, amounts and periods of time. It’s easy for someone to say “I want to increase my sales”, but it’s more realistic to set measureable aims, such as “I’d like to increase my sales by 30%”.

If your goals aren’t easily measurable, they are much less relevant to both you and your business, and as a result much more difficult to achieve. Measuring your success will entitle you to celebrate your achievements, knowing exactly where you have progressed. This will also give you a sense of grounding and a benchmark to set future objectives.

2. Positivity is the key
Negativity is not your friend when setting goals; you need to be open-­minded and optimistic. Frame your goal statement with positivity in mind and you’re likely to aim higher too! A negative attitude will not only affect your productivity, but your overall approach to your goal will suffer. Instead of saying “I want to increase my sales by 30%”, think about an achievable and realistic alternative, such as “I will aim to increase my sales by 30% or more by next financial year”.

Add uplifting images and words to your daily interactions, or create a daily mantra to help inspire and keep you on track.

3. Put your goals in writing
Once you have decided your key goals, sticking to them is essential (and often the hardest part)! Reminding yourself of your goals is not always easy, so try to use visual cues around your house and workspace as reminders about what you’re aspiring to achieve. Use a whiteboard to display your aims, put a reminder in your phone or stick post-­‐it notes around your workspace to keep you motivated and moving in the right direction. Once your ambitions are on paper, they become tangible objectives you have no excuse to forget!

4. Face challenges with a brave face
When goal‐setting you’re bound to face challenges, so during the tough times enlist support from family and friends to help keep you on track. By maintaining balance, you’ll maintain focus and the ability to create a strong and supportive environment for success. Remember, family and friends are great at singing your praises and keeping you focused on the things that really matter; they’re always good for grounding.

Visualising your goals and how you’ll feel once they’ve been achieved is a great way to overcome difficulties, and will give you more motivation and drive when tough times take over!

5. Stick to your goals
Sticking to your goals is a hard thing to do, and often it’s easier said than done. Be flexible and make sure your objectives are relevant to your everyday life. If there is a sudden change in your life, adjust your goals as necessary. Continue to assess and reassess your targets, question their relevance and put new aims into place if need be. Know what you want and do everything in your power to get there -­‐ the end result will be rewarding and worth your hard work and perseverance.

Brooke is a business owner and ‘Top Gun Leader’ with The Body Shop At Home. For more information on The Body Shop At Home please visit: www.thebodyshop.com.au/TheBodyShopAtHome