The end of the year is just around the corner, and at Bill Squires Business Coaching, we encourage the people we work with to put time aside for regular reflection so you can achieve your business goals.
Reflection gives you the chance to pause amidst the chaos of running a business, untangle your thoughts and sort through what has been happening recently. Allowing you the opportunity to explore multiple possible interpretations from recent events and create meaning. And then, from this, you learn new things, which can inform your future mindset and actions.
Not only this, but this reflection will allow you to see which business goals you have achieved and what you have not yet hit. But fear not, you’re in the right place to learn how you can achieve your remaining business goals before the year is out…
1) Get an accountability buddy
With any goal, whether it be business, fitness, or personal, having someone to keep you accountable can make a world of difference. From a psychology perspective, it has been found that we make better choices when we are being watched. So, by enlisting the help of a fellow business owner, a senior member of your team, a business coach, or a family member, you will be more likely to actively work towards achieving your goal.
Once you’re used to having check-ins with your accountability buddy, you will find you consistently work towards your goals without even realising, helping you build a habit.
If you’d prefer not to ask for help from someone you know, you can create public accountability by declaring your intention on social media. This will achieve the same effect, and you’ll be motivated to follow through on your promise because you’ve made your intentions known. Alternatively, you can use an app on your phone or computer to send you reminders to work towards your goal.
2) Read Books
If you study any successful entrepreneur, you’ll find that one of their keys to success is that they educate themselves through books. Business books are a great way to explore others’ first-hand experiences with common problems. What’s more, it’ll detail how someone else overcame these challenges, which you can learn from and apply within your own company to help you achieve your goals.
Furthermore, by discussing these books, you encourage yourself to explore what you would have done in the situation. This discussion will improve your critical thinking and allow you to become a better business owner.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to join a book club that exclusively reads business books – good news! We host a monthly book club for business owners to come together, discuss a specially chosen business book and build their understanding. To sign up, click here.
Once you make a habit of reading business books, you’ll notice you have more knowledge and tricks to cope with situations. Consistently reading informative books will show you new ways of thinking whilst providing a fresh perfective or some much-needed motivation.
3) Set Deadlines
We set deadlines for everything, new product releases, the delivery of assets, planning events… so why not our goals?
Attaching a deadline to a goal will give you a sense of direction. If you struggle with motivation, this is a quick and easy way to ignite a spark that will encourage you to dedicate time to developing your business and achieving your mission.
4) Think Smaller
Break your goals into smaller, more manageable chunks to build momentum. By ticking a few micro-goals off your list, you’ll be able to see your progress, which will keep you motivated.
If you find you often bite off more than you can chew and frequently get demotivated, then breaking your goals up into smaller chunks is the solution for you. After all, nothing quite builds momentum like getting a few wins under your belt.
5) Inform your Team of Goals
When managing a team, communication, motivation, and direction is essential, and it needn’t be any different when it comes to setting goals.
To help achieve your overall business goals, encourage your team members throughout the hierarchy to set their own. Converse with your team to decide who will do what. Not only will this help your employees see how they fit into the bigger picture, but it also has additional benefits of giving them a clear direction which will have a positive knock-on effect on motivation.
When your team achieves one of their goals, celebrate this success! Rewarding their hard work will engage and inspire them, fuelling higher performance.
After all, when everyone’s goals are aligned, and there is support to help each other reach their goals, it creates a healthy and positive work culture that breeds trust and enhances productivity.
6) Get a Business Coach
Finally, our last recommendation to give you that final push to achieve all your 2021 goals is to recruit the help of a business coach.
A business coach is someone who can help with all the above (and more!); they will give you valuable yet truthful feedback, which will help keep you accountable and driven to achieve your goals.
Additionally, business coaches have a wealth of knowledge from reading books, their own experiences and what they have learnt from working with other businesses and networking. This valuable knowledge is something they can draw upon to help you take your business from where it is currently to where you’d like it to be.
Ready for our help?
If you’re ready to enlist the help of a business coach so you can achieve your business goals, get in touch. We’d be happy to explain how we can help you.
And if you’re not quite on track to achieve all your goals, do not get disheartened. Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint, and certain goals can take longer than what we first thought. If this is the case, send us an email. We can help you reflect on what isn’t working. What’s more, we can also work with you to help you set realistic, achievable goals which will help grow your business.
