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It Takes More Than A Resolution to Achieve Your Dreams In the New Year

Guest post by: Kevin Kragenbrink

Article Overview: Business owners you know that New Year’s resolutions don’t last! It’s been proven again and again. So why do we keep setting them? I think we really want each new year to be different, and better than the last for our small businesses. I want this year to be my best year ever. So what can I do to make sure that happens? Setting SMART goals is part of the secret to success, but it is not enough. Add a measurable action plan and partner with a business coach or mentor and your chances of success will hit their peak.

It Takes More Than A Resolution to Achieve Your Dreams In the New Year

Business owners, you know that New Year's resolutions don't last! It's been proven again and again. So why do we keep setting them? I think we really want each new year to be different, and better than the last. I want 2011 to be my best year ever. So what can I do to make sure that happens?

First, Set SMART Goals. Resolutions express the desire to change, but they are often not specific. They represent what we think should be important but not what is important. To make resolutions that last, set goals that follow the SMART rule.

SMART goals are Specific. List exactly what you want to achieve or change. "I want to lose 10 pounds," is specific. "I want to lose weight," is not. "I want to increase my sales by 20% over last year," is specific. "I want to grow my business," is not. Make your goals specific.

SMART goals are Measurable. Every goal you set should have a clear measure to determine success. If you want to lose weight, start by getting on a scale to determine your starting point. Then, decide how often you will get back on the scale to monitor your progress. If your goal is to increase sales by 20%, start with last year's sales number and then decide how and how often you will measure this year's progress.

SMART goals are Achievable. It does no good to set goals that are not reasonably possible. If you made $35,000 last year, it may not be reasonable to set a goal of $2,000,000 this year. But remember, achievable does not have to mean easy. If 2,000,000 is achievable, then go for it!

SMART goals are Results focused. I don't believe in setting goals just to have goals. Goals focus on concrete results that will help me achieve long term success. I want every goal I set for 2011 to move me toward some valuable result in my business and/or life.

SMART goals are Time bound. Did you know that success is always defined in two ways? First, you must have an expectation (think goal). "I will make a million dollars." To make it real and to define success, attach it to a time frame. "I will make a million dollars in the next 3 years." Now I know what success looks like and I can build a plan to make it happen.

Now that you have SMART goals, create an action plan for each one. Action plans are the specific steps you will take to accomplish your goals. Think in 90 day segments. If the goal is $3,000,000 in sales this year, what needs to happen in the next 90 days?

Don't be fooled into thinking that dividing the goal into four equal parts is right. Action plans need to target the goal, but they need to include the specific actions or behaviors needed to produce success. "I will make 50 calls each week for the next 90 days," is an action plan to support sales. Every action plan item must support one or more goals and must be measurable.

Finally, share your goals with a mentor or business coach so you will have someone to help monitor your activity and help you focus on the goal. Here is a CEO Rule - "Every Top Professional Has A Coach."

As a sports fan I see this every time I turn on the TV to watch a game. Great coaches turn good players into great players and great players into super stars. Players who don't work with their coaches or who don't believe the coach can make them better never reach their full potential and often find themselves out of the game completely.

Business owners are like athletes. Most of us are good at what we do; some of us are truly great. All of us could be better, more successful, and more complete if we had a coach. A coach helps us understand how to use our skills and apply our knowledge to our business in the most productive way. A coach encourages, and motivates us to reach higher. A coach helps us see and overcome the threats to our complete success. A Coach makes a business owner better.

So, what are your goals for this year? Are you prepared to make this the best year ever? Share your goals with me and others here. I would love to compile a list of business owner goals for the year that we can all use to judge our successes at the end of this great year.

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Article Tags: business coach, business owners, dreams, measurable action, mentor, new years resolutions, small businesses, smart goals



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Re: New Year Resolutions... - My New Years Resolution is to be earning $500+ with my online business. This includes any freelance work that I do. I'm about half-way there now. Another Resolution is to look into selling more on eBay and maybe finding a reputable dropshipper that offers competitive pricing on high-demand items. I like eBay and the opportunity that it provides. I've mainly been selling personal items, but I'd like to start tapping into a larger market and making some significant income on eBay.
Re: New Year Resolutions... - [quote="Alan Mater":2acona1t]My New Years Resolution is to be earning $500+ with my online business. This includes any freelance work that I do. I'm about half-way there now. Another Resolution is to look into selling more on eBay and maybe finding a reputable dropshipper that offers competitive pricing on high-demand items. I like eBay and the opportunity that it provides. I've mainly been selling personal items, but I'd like to start tapping into a larger market and making some significant income on eBay.[/quote:2acona1t] Hi Alan, Do you mean $500+ per month? And when you're selling items on eBay from a reputable dropshipper... do you think it's still important to pick a product you're passionate about (like what an entrepreneur would normally do when starting a business)? Or is it just about moving a popular item for profit on eBay?
Re: New Year Resolutions... - [quote="Kevin Lee":398jg5d7][quote="Alan Mater":398jg5d7]My New Years Resolution is to be earning $500+ with my online business. This includes any freelance work that I do. I'm about half-way there now. Another Resolution is to look into selling more on eBay and maybe finding a reputable dropshipper that offers competitive pricing on high-demand items. I like eBay and the opportunity that it provides. I've mainly been selling personal items, but I'd like to start tapping into a larger market and making some significant income on eBay.[/quote:398jg5d7] Hi Alan, Do you mean $500+ per month? And when you're selling items on eBay from a reputable dropshipper... do you think it's still important to pick a product you're passionate about (like what an entrepreneur would normally do when starting a business)? Or is it just about moving a popular item for profit on eBay?[/quote:398jg5d7] Hi Kevin, Yes, sorry I didn't clarify. My goal is to make $500+ per month. I would say yes, pick products that you have an interest in. That's the best option if you're going to like what you do. Hopefully you can find a balance between products you're interested in and products that are in high demand.
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