Defining Your Success & Setting Goals

“A goal is a dream with a deadline” – Harvey Mackay

Few of us actually set goals properly so that they are effective and realized. There are so many choices that we are given today that often we feel overwhelmed. Many of us feel pressured to try all of the choices and get bogged down with too many activities. With too many activities we are only able to give a minimum of our attention to because we’re fighting so hard to keep our many balls up in the air. Unfortunately, we don’t realize our goals because we have too many of them and not enough time to devote to each one properly.

There are those of us who begin to feel so overwhelmed by the choices that it prevents them from doing anything. Terrified of making the wrong choice, afraid of heading in the wrong direction and as a result we simply do nothing with the hopes that perhaps the decision will be made for us. A decision will be made, but rarely is it the decision we actually desire or deserve. Inactivity due to fear is just a debilitating as too much activity and both practices prevent us from reaching our goals.

The trick is, and it’s not easy, to figure out what your goal really is. Adding specifics is a great way to find your true goal. In other words, say your goal is to have a business that makes you a lot of money. That’s great! What is “a lot of money” to you? What is the exact number that would make you feel as though you had a lot of money? This number will be different for everyone. Defining it depends upon what your perception of success is to you. In other words, will being able to afford what you need make you happy? Or will being able to buy an expensive car, own an expensive home and take expensive vacations be the key to your happiness?

Once you’ve figured out what that number is that will enable you to create the life you want your next step is to figure out how much you need to make in order to reach that goal. How many new clients will you need or how much of the product you sell will need to be sold in order to reach that financial goal and maintain it? What are the steps you need to take in order to reach those sales goals? How will you gain more clients or sell more of your product? How long will it take you to reach this goal?

Evaluating your current sales process will enable you to pinpoint and take your next steps. Is your sales process working for you? Have you been seeing your financial numbers rise? What steps are you taking that seem to work? Which are the steps that seem to hold you back? Eliminate or revise those ineffective steps. Evaluate those steps that are working for you as well. There is almost always room for improvement.

The most difficult decisions in the goal making process is to really dig deep and find out what makes you happy. One person’s perception of success can be vastly different than someone else’s. You have to know what you want for yourself and then actually feel comfortable with that decision. In these times, when our society seems to celebrate those who have lots of stuff as being successful you have to sit back and see a situation for what it really is. If you feel that owning lot’s of things is what you desire out of life then go after it with everything you’ve got. If, on the other hand, to you happiness and success means a life surrounded by friends and family, being able to afford what you need and a little of what you want, but you don’t need a large home or car, then go after that life with everything you’ve got. The key to it all is being comfortable with the choices you’ve made and never letting anyone tell you your level of success is wrong or not enough. In the end the only person who needs to believe you’re a success is you.