WRITING YOUR GOALS
This blog was inspired by an entrepreneur I’ve been blessed to help. She sent me a text and asked, “How do you write your business goals?” What I shared is what I’ll share with you in the remainder of this blog.
First, let me make a case for writing goals down. Fitzhugh Dodson said, “Goals that are not written down are just wishes.” Writing your goals down will keep you accountable and remind you of where your focus should be.
Next, I’ll talk about how to write goals. When I seek answers, I always turn to experts. Jesus, the greatest leader I know, identified goals. Check out Mark 11:1-7 when you have a moment. In those verses, He provides a clear goal to two of His followers. That goal will serve as the framework for my insight on writing your goals.
Here’s what Jesus said, “Go to that village over there … as soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it, and bring it here” (Mark 11:2, NLT). The goal was for the two followers to untie a young donkey and bring it back to Jesus. Here’s what we can learn from this goal to assist us with writing ours:
(1) BE SPECIFIC: Jesus identified the specific donkey He wanted – the one no one had ridden in the village He identified. Your goals must be equally specific. Identify precisely what you want to accomplish.
(2) MAKE IT MEASURABLE: In other words, set goals you can actually evaluate. Jesus knew that if they brought the right young donkey back, the goal would be accomplished. When you write your goals, think about how you will determine if they have been met. If you can’t determine how you will know that they have been met, keep thinking.
(3) REQUIRE ACTION: Goals should necessitate movement. For Jesus’ followers, this meant going to the indicated village. Make sure your goals also require action. They should move you in the direction of your potential.
(4) MAKE THEM REALISTIC: Jesus gave a goal within the capability of the two followers. He knew they could do it. Make sure your goals are within your, or your team’s, capabilities. Don’t write goals that you cannot accomplish.
(5) SET A DEADLINE: Although not expressly stated, we can deduce that Jesus wanted the goal accomplished as soon as possible. His followers moved immediately and worked to meet the goal. That’s exactly why you need a deadline for your goals. Without an established time frame, complacency can set in. Deadlines keep us moving at the pace needed to accomplish our goals.
Last, let’s practice what we just learned. Write one goal for your business. Here’s an example to get your thoughts going:
By the end of this month, I will write all of my business goals for the next quarter of the fiscal year.
Notice the elements of the goal we mentioned before:
(1) SPECIFIC: Write all of my business goals for the next quarter of the fiscal year.
(2) MEASURABLE: All of my business goals need to be written by the end of the month.
(3) ACTION-ORIENTED: I need to write the goals.
(4) REALISTIC: I can write, so I can accomplish this goal.
(5) TIME-SENSITIVE: The goal must be accomplished by the end of the month.
If you haven’t caught it, I’m simply sharing an old recipe for writing goals. Make them SMART: specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic,and time-sensitive. If you write SMART goals, then I believe you will hold yourself accountable for what you wrote. You will also achieve what you write down, because you will write them within your capabilities. Your business will thrive, your team, if you have one, will be inspired to work harder than ever, and you will enjoy unbelievable success. Write your goals, and watch your business achieve everything you envision!