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Where are you Headed?

Article Overview: All too often when talking with business owners who are unhappy with their results, I find they haven't set many goals much less created a specific plan on how to reach them.

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Where are you Headed?

While speaking with one owner recently, she shared that she really doesn't set annual goals, she just does as much work as she can to "hopefully" achieve the same level of success or more each year. When business is slow she just works more hours and spends more time reaching out to her network to try and generate business. And oh, by the way, during that same conversation she mentioned that she really wanted less stress, and to get a better handle on her time so she could have more of it for fun with her spouse, family and friends. This is not an unfamiliar conversation and she's not alone in her struggles.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If not, go ahead and stop reading now. But, if you are tired of working harder and harder and want to reduce some of your struggles keep reading!

Many years ago US educator and writer, Laurence J. Peter made a simple and profound statement that is still true today: "If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else!" Ending up where you really want to be, or darned close to it, requires just a couple simple steps:

1) Cast your Vision! - Schedule some quiet time for yourself to just sit for 30 - 60 minutes and write down where it is you really want to be in the next 12 - 36 months. It's important to get a clear idea of what specifically that will look like and why it's important to you.

2)Create a regular reminder of what your vision looks like. There are several ways in which to do this, but this year my clients and I created vision boards (that's mine). We got together one evening and shared our vision and vision boards with one another. Several clients who participated said sharing their visions publicly made it feel real and that it created a sense of urgency and focus to get moving to reach it. It was such an inspiring evening to see where each person is headed.

3) Identify Annual Goals. Review your bigger vision and pull out the things you will do this year that will move you in the direction of your vision. Many of my clients have found mind mapping to be a great way to begin this process. Be sure to make SMART goals for the year.

4) Create a written plan to get there. This is such an important and often overlooked step. Having a specific plan will help you to maintain focus and combat feelings of overwhelm. For each goal, chunk out the top ten things that need to be completed to reach that goal. Break each of those ten things down into monthly, weekly, and daily actionable steps (with due dates) and you've got a solid plan to get to where you want to be! I have several tools on my website you can use to capture your plan.

5) Review progress & edit your plan monthly. Schedule time at the end of each month (or beginning) to look at your plan and check off what's completed. I believe in celebrating each accomplishment, no matter how small! It helps to build momentum and increases confidence. Don't worry if you didn't get it all done. Use what worked to help inform you about what's realistic to complete for the next month and adjust your plans accordingly. Remember, PROGRESS is more important than perfection!

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About the Author: Victoria Cook
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Victoria Cook is a guilt-free results expert, author, speaker, and internationally recognized coach. As the creator of the Guilt-Free RESULTS™ System and author of The Professional Woman’s Must Have 7-Step Guide to Getting Exactly What She Wants without Guilt, Victoria provides inspiration, education, and motivation for business owners who struggle with achieving big goals. Visit www.TheGuiltFreeCoach.com to receive free step-by-step information, support, and encouragement to reach one goal in the next 30 days through her famous Big Goals No Guilt 30 Day Business Challenge.

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