As the end of the year draws closer, now is the time to measure the goals you've set for yourself so you can tweak and refine as necessary.
How have you done in terms of meeting your objectives?
If you're on track, Congratulations!
If not, don't beat yourself up, but don't let it go either.
If things haven't gone your way, there's a reason and if you don't stop and review your position before pressing onward, you can rest assured you will end up like a boat without an oarsman, drifting wherever the current carries you.
Take a snapshot of where you are today in terms of revenues, profits, cash flow and expenses.
How many clients do you have, products do you sell, services do you offer?
How much do you have in inventory?
How many hours a week are you working?
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, what is your level of stress?
Looking back at the goals you set at the beginning of the year, where did you expect to be by this time in relation to the above criteria?
Whatever the difference is between what you had intentioned and where you are is your "gap" and your objective from this point forward is to narrow that gap or change your goals to something more achievable.
If your goals were realistic and to this point you haven't reached them, contemplate the reasons why. Remember, you are one hundred percent responsible for the outcomes you create.
More often than not, your habits and behaviors are the culprits. They are the most difficult to change yet have the greatest impact on your levels of success.
What bad habits have stalled your progress?
What can you do about them?
Changing habits isn't easy. If it was, we'd all be where we want to be.
Bring in the support and resources you need to make changes. Perhaps a coach, mentor, trusted colleague or mastermind group. Don't try to do it alone. Everyone who has achieved great success has built a support system around themselves. You can too.
If your goal is to make one million dollars by the end of the year and you have made one thousand and its October, narrow the gap to a goal that makes sense.
It's not uncommon for new business owners (heck even veterans) to be overly optimistic when estimating revenues and profits, and having to adjust goals as you go along does not indicate failure, but pure business sense.
If you should be making ten calls a day and you're not, what will you do about it?
If you should be spending your time selling your products or services, but are busy reading e-mail and trying to learn how to build your own web site, what will you do about it?
If your day is constantly interrupted by personal phone calls and unexpected visitors, what will you do about it?
Simple, firm changes can make a world of difference in your productivity and bring you closer to your goals much quicker.
If you're not doing what you need to be doing to reach your goals, ask yourself, "What's the pay-off?" Does it keep you in your comfort zone? Does it keep you from experiencing rejection? Does it serve old programming that tells you you're not smart enough?
Write down where you are now, where you want to be and measure the gap.
Then write down what needs to be done to bridge that gap. Create a new plan to follow from this point forward and commit to it. This exercise has helped some entrepreneurs achieve more in the final quarter than the first three combined.
Reflect, re-design and re-focus. Wrap-up your year with the pride and satisfaction of a job well done.
2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source, and creator of The Complete 12-Step Guide To Starting A Home-Based Business and The HBB Survival Guide, helps freedom seekers fast track their journey from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Get her free ezine packed with helpful resources at www.thehbbsource.com
How To Bridge Your "Goals Gap" And Ready Yourself For The Year Ahead - To learn more about this author, visit Laurie Hayes's Website.
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