The myth of goal setting
One of the reasons why I don’t really like business plans is that they are only a general overview of what you want to do. Most people will make a business plan and then never look at it because they don’t really know what to do with it.
The business plan outlines usually reflect unrealistic expectations. We overestimate how much we can do in one year and underestimate what we can do in 10 years. We set ourselves up for failure. Then we can say - we tried that and that didn’t work so I won’t do that again. We continue to beat ourselves up and fail to reach our (un)reachable goals. We give up easily.
It is kind of like planting a seed, watering it and taking good care of it and then digging it up every so often to see if it is growing! You kill it then!
Our intentions are the emotions behind the goals. It is the reason for doing things. It is the passion that carries you through the steps to success. Why do you want to do anything? What’s the real reason - not just the “I need the money” or “I want to help others”. Under these superficial reasons, there is usually a deeper reason - a deeper need for something. Most everything we do is to fill a need - the need for attention, love, respect, nurturing, connection. Discovering the real reason for doing things can help to diffuse the intensity of the feelings connected with the goal and help us to get out of our own way.
The other part of goal setting is to set reasonable, achievable goals. Set something that you know you can accomplish each day can help build your self confidence so that you can keep taking bigger and bigger steps. To do this you also need to set ACTION Steps to go along with the goals.
Like having the goal : “I want 20 clients a week”.
What does that really mean? What do you have to DO to get that many clients?
It is ofen overwhelming to just think about that feat- 20 clients - so often we don’t do anything to get them in the door. We just start to think that it will magically happen and then when no one shows up we start feeling depressed and think we aren’t very good and the whole thing snowballs into who knows what.
What action are you going to take to get one client is a much simpler achievable goal. Make a phone call. Talk to someone in the elevator or parking lot. Write an email to someone.\ Write down all of the really easy things you can do -the steps you can take to getting one new client and take the steps one by one. If one doesn’t work it doesn’t necessarily mean that that tactic won’t work. Don’t make assumptions about what could be happening when you don’t get any response.
What are some simple actions you can take today?
And then after you take them -celebrate! You did it. See how it builds your self confidence.
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