We all know that setting your sights on 10 or 15 New Year’s resolutions is a sure-fire way to split your focus and leave you feeling unaccomplished when you revisit them at the end of the year.
According to Grit by Angela Duckworth, one of our book-club reads, clear goals are vital to developing tenacity and sticktoitiveness. She suggests using these four steps to prioritize and align your goals:
List up to 25 of your goals
Choose five that are your top priority
Completely avoid the 20 goals that you didn’t select—don’t waste time or energy on them
Think about how your top five goals are related. Be loyal to them and make sure any short-term goals you create are in service of one of your top.
Choose your top five
Running a business is a multifaceted endeavor. There might be a hundred things that you’d like to do (lots of which not listed below) to grow your company. Try Angela’s advice by choosing your top five and working relentlessly to achieve them.
I’m excited to spend at least one hour a day to work towards things I don’t have to do There are things that you can’t delegate that can really move your business forward and produce a result, like inspiration, research, and making plans.
I’ll be so relieved to reduce my ongoing expenses by [this] percent and keep them down Whether it’s investing time and money in a business accountant, moving to a smaller, more manageable space, or simply paring back your phone contract, finding ways to reduce ongoing unnecessary expenses gives you more space to invest in other, profitable, areas of your business.
I’ll launch the kickass product idea I’ve been thinking about for the past six months Finding time to do audience research or getting together the resources for the upfront investment for a new product is tough when you’re already managing a business, but you use your in-depth knowledge of your customers and leverage your relationships with existing vendors and manufacturers.
I’ll be thrilled when I increase my website traffic by [this] percent There are basic tweaks you can make to drive quality traffic to your site without spending a ton of money on Google ads.
I’ll be psyched when I increase my website conversions by [this] percent Getting interested users on your site is only half the battle, incite visitors to take action with these 39 proven strategies for increasing website conversions.
My website will be smooth as butter when I do my UX review A UX review can eliminate the bugs and oversights—that often have ramifications for sales—and refine the experience features that get your customers to buy.
I can’t wait to find a mentor Mentorship could be just the thing to invigorate your business and focus your mind on your goals. Having a mentor gives you access to a whole new network and brings outside experience to tough problems. Did you know The Enthuse Foundation has an app that matches mentees with potential mentors?
I’m going to be happy to share my skills and become a mentor Being a mentor not only benefits your mentee but also polishes your leadership skills, helps you identify gaps in your knowledge and expands your circle. Download our app to help a woman grow her business next year.
I’m putting myself out there at two to four networking events per month If you’re a solopreneur, it’ll be useful for you to have three people in your life; a mentor who will keep it real with you, a cheerleader who will lift you up, and a wise person who will challenge your assumptions and make you see things from a different point of view. Find your personal board of directors through Eventbrite listings and Chamber of Commerce meetings.
I’ll feel great when I find and implement five ways to make my business greener and more sustainable There are a lot of benefits to going green in your business that stretch beyond that nice glow you get from doing something good; it can improve your reputation, save you money, and even give you tax benefits.
I’ll feel like a boss when I increase my market share by [this] percent Increase your market share through innovation, strengthening customer relationships, smart hiring practices, and acquiring competitors.
I’m going to fully relax on a holiday that I don’t have to cancel at the last minute You need sleep, you need a good mindset, you need movement and good nutrition. You are not superhuman and if you deplete yourself, your cognitive decision-making skills are going to be compromised.
I’ll be glad to get a handle on my business credit If you run a company, you can use your business credit score to draw a short line between your personal finances and your business and protect yourself in case something goes wrong.
I going to be proud when I pay myself first Paying yourself first shows investors that you are serious about your business as a viable, long-term way of making money, rewards you for the time and effort you put in every day, incentivizes you to keep going, and allows you to invest and diversify your income to protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances.
I will create an amazing webinar/program/podcast/video series Putting more resources into quality content–including education–boosts SEO rankings, gains leads, gives you caché, and gives your brand clarity.
I’m going to hire my first brilliant employee Maybe you’ve been relying on contractors to get you this far, but know that having a full-time member of staff who’s renumerated as a freelancer can get you in trouble with the IRS. This year, make sure you have your legal ducks in a row and go find someone wonderful.
I can’t wait to increase productivity by [this] percent There are only so many hours in your day. Track how much time it takes for you to produce whatever your output is and find out if there are any kinks in your system, like meetings about nothing, lengthy interruptions, or an antiquated or misused project management tool.
I’m going to make my customers feel special when I set up a CRM system and a sales funnel Your customers can reach and interact with you in many different ways, you might be missing a trick if you can’t give them tailored upsells and offers. There are CRM systems for companies of all sizes to market smarter.
I’m pumped to strike a licensing deal Maybe you’ve built a great brand presence but don’t have the wide-stretching production and distribution that you need to bring your new idea to life. Finding a good licensing deal could be just the thing to get you to market.
I’m excited to set up training and rewards for my team Your employees are your front line brand representatives. Take care of them, expand their skills, and they’ll be the best stewards for your reputation.
I’m going to kill it with a new messaging strategy “It’s difficult to quantify the impact of bad messaging. And it’s just as difficult to present an accurate ROI for implementing or changing the approach of how we talk about a company or product.” This Medium article sets out why you should care, and maps how you should go about it.
I’m going to blow up when I create a bomb PR strategy We all know to send out a press release when we launch a product or add a new string to our business, but we sometimes forget about the value of creating a longterm PR strategy, one that creates more of a hit in those tentpole moments and gives you targeted, relevant coverage in quieter moments.
I’ll innovate by designing a winning new business model Create a new model by building new revenue streams, channels, and ways of creating value. Learn how your business model interacts with your strategy and tactics.
I will be in everyone’s living rooms when I increase distribution Distributors can be as difficult to woo as retail buyers. Winning them over takes time, research and hard work. Entrepreneur offers nine steps to success.
I can’t wait to expand my knowledge by getting through 12 books this year Through the deliberate use of practice and dedicated strategies to improve our ability to learn, we can all develop expertise faster and more effectively, according to Harvard Business Review. If you can’t carve out the time, audiobooks still count! Investing time and resources for our own betterment is never a waste.
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