Well it’s mid January and the dust of 2013 has settled. Now is the time to start implementing the necessary changes to reach your personal and business goals. Hopefully your business goals are focused, measurable, and realistic because over 60% of people fail to reach their goals before the middle of the year even with strategic planning. Review my previous post about simple rules to use for 2014 and pay attention to punctuality, organization, and building value. It can be hard to know the best steps to take to ensure that you realize your potential, personally and in business. Here is a list of tips to help migrate from this month of reflection and evaluation to February, where you will build a foundation for change.
Commit to Communication
Communication is one of the key tools for change. Discussing goals and opportunities with friends, family, and colleagues enforces the benefits of your goals and provides support through praise, advice, and motivation. They may provide the necessary help to get you off the ground. Develop good communication habits by actively listening, responding effectively, and following up. Just like a small business, personal relationships require investment and management.
Finish Your Personal Evaluation
Everyone talks about goal setting, cleaning house, making way for the new, and getting ready. These are all great in concept but don’t lead to action. Take ACTION by finishing your reflective period and start to implement your plan.
Lofty goals?
Simple Plan… Big Results
In many cases lofty goals are just that, lofty. Make plans that are realistic and part of a strategy for the year not for a single problem. Build daily action that represent steps in your process. For example, in your small business keeping better track of expenses starts with recording them in a daily ledger. Don’t worry about what is going to happen tomorrow or how much you will use for taxes. Just do it! Remember, it is always easier to edit than to create.
Understand Your Value
If nothing else this coming year, figure out your value and apply it to your goals, expectations, and interaction with others. With this knowledge you can make critical decisions to delegate, outsource, or eliminate tasks and projects that don’t add value or detract from your goals. Ask, how often is time, energy, or money wasted in pursuit of something that can be done faster, better, or for less cost by someone or something else? The answer will startle you and provide motivation for change.
Automate, Automate, Automate
Make it once and use it over and over again. Review practices or habits and remove the “one off.” Automated process and procedures become a way to optimize resources without additional investment. Examples include auto responders for e-mail, information aggregators, monthly payment plans, and online calendars. Regardless of the situation automation can save time, create value, and enhance experience.
Eliminate the Paper Trail
Writing something down more than once creates potential for loss, increase in clutter, and leads to disorganization. Put everything into on online format to make sure it is measurable, traceable, and available at the touch of a button. Don’t write it several times.. type it once and save.
Easy For You to Say
It all sounds great but how is it actually done. The processing, goal-setting, strategic planning, measuring tools, and technology. Where to begin? Contact me and we can find out together. Don’t wait until tomorrow to make the changes that were necessary yesterday.
