Put your business goals into actionable bits to see progress

 

 

PHOTO | FILE Many people start by making smart goals but the goals are so huge they never get one step in achieving them.   NATION

In Summary

• Some of us write them down while others just put to their minds their commitments for the year. It is always recommended that we write down what our goals are. After setting them, it is also necessary to breakdown the larger goals into small actionable bits.
• Many entrepreneurs set themselves up for failure when they point to a sales target for the quarter and then fail to create a gradual path to reach that goal.
• Going back to the sport analogy, if you were to begin running one kilometre every day to participate in a 21-kilometre marathon later in the year, this would make good practice.

By Dorcas Muthoni
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EVERY beginning of the year, we all do the usual — set new goals.

Some of us write them down while others just put to their minds their commitments for the year. It is always recommended that we write down what our goals are. After setting them, it is also necessary to breakdown the larger goals into small actionable bits.

It is these action points that will build towards the overall goal.

And depending of how you envision the goals, breaking them down may be a bit of a task. Most people stop at setting SMART goals but the goals are so large they never get to step one in achieving them.

Let us take a sport analogy, if you decide to run a marathon today, and you have never run a mile in your life, where do you start? Well you start by running one kilometre then two kilometres, so you break down the big audacious goal of yours into manageable portions.

Many entrepreneurs set themselves up for failure when they point to a sales target for the quarter and then fail to create a gradual path to reach that goal.

It gets more demoralising when you sit through a review in between the year and you cannot see the concrete steps made towards the goal. It can be very discouraging.

But this is not to say we shouldn’t set the goals and begin working towards them. It just means that we need to identify those actions that will be easier for use to achieve and if taken every day of the year, we can be sure to reach the set goals.

If you really want to realise your business goals this year, then you have to break them down and execute the actionable steps. The action steps can be taken by you or your staff. Setting realisable goals is even more motivating.

Instead of setting very high targets, set what you can be sure to realise as this will motivate you when you meet them and even exceeded expectations.

SPORT ANALOGY

Going back to the sport analogy, if you were to begin running one kilometre every day to participate in a 21-kilometre marathon later in the year, this would make good practice.

Perhaps do one kilometre runs every day for the first one month, two kilometres for the second month and so on.

By the end of the year, you would have good stamina to see you through a 21-kilometre marathon.

This is the same way we should attack our business goals. Cut them in actionable steps that allow us to feel good as we push through the year. It is important to feel encouraged everytime we review through the year.

Wishing you the very best in your business goals this year.

The author is the CEO/founder of Openworld Ltd. Email: muthoni@openworld.co.ke