4 Ways To Set Kinder Business Goals
This week, we’re diving into the A - Aim High - in the S.T.R.A.T.E.G.Y. method. I love this part of the process because almost everyone I know has really strong feelings about goals and goal-setting.
Some people refuse to use the word “goal.”
Others don’t set goals because they don’t derive a sense of accomplishment from hitting targets or checking things off a list.
Still others feel judged or challenged by goals or the process of setting them, and it leaves them feeling demoralized and frustrated.
This hasn’t ever been my challenge, and if I’m honest, up until this year, it was really hard to relate to those sentiments. I’m an achiever. I have been for as long as I can remember. Heck, my number one strength on the StrengthsFinder assessment is Achiever. I have always had a tendency to set big audacious goals and then do what it takes (ethically, of course) to make sure I achieve them. In fact, I can’t think of a time in my life when that hasn’t been my pattern.
This year, though, has left me wondering if this is actually who I am at the core or if it’s just who I’ve been conditioned to be. As more and more business owners and professionals are burning out, are we, as a society, pushing hard, striving, and achieving because we want to achieve or because we’ve been conditioned to believe that our worth and merit as humans is tied to achievement and success, to working hard and making it happen at all costs?
As a business owner, I believe strongly that every business needs goals. We need something to aim for in order to move and operate with purpose, and goals that are aligned to your larger vision and values give you a trajectory to follow. I don’t think it serves us to wander aimlessly through the online desert, hoping and praying something works or that we’ll magically find the unicorn solution to all our problems, and I suspect that’s obvious because I’ve spent the last six weeks talking about the importance of strategy and making sure your business has one.
But, today’s conversation about Aiming High is not going to go into the stats about how many small businesses don’t set goals or track how they’re doing against them, and I’m not going to talk about the importance of setting goals that are concrete and have a system in place to help you actually achieve them. You know all that. I want to talk about how we can set goals that feel more humane and kind.
Set goals that really matter to you
In her book, The Fire Starter Sessions, Danielle Laporte writes, "If your goals aren’t synced with the substance of your heart, then achieving them won’t matter much."
There’s a lot of talk about knowing your why when it comes to building a business, but I think it gets overshadowed by all the other noise. Knowing what you’re trying to create, how you want to feel about it, and why making that impact is important to you, gives you a level of clarity and concreteness no SMART goal can give you.
This is why I strongly encourage you to really think about the life you want to live in step 2 of the S.T.R.A.T.E.G.Y. method. Everything in your business should point and empower you to make the impact you truly want in a way that allows you to thrive.
Focus on the journey that comes with the goal instead of the outcome
Setting big, hairy, audacious goals can be incredibly daunting. But what if we focus less on the end goal and more on the journey to get there? Are there things you can do right now, little improvements or shifts you can make, that move the needle forward? Baby steps you can take that make that big goal seem more doable and within your control?
Research has consistently shown that small wins are powerful because they build momentum. It may seem cliche, but in the words of Arthur Ashe, the late great tennis player, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” Focusing on the baby steps necessary to achieve the bigger goal results in new habits, new revelations about yourself, and other important lessons learned along the way. And sometimes, that’s more important than achieving the original goal.
Make sure you’re in control of your goals
This may seem obvious on the surface, but too often, we set goals with outcomes that are outside our control. It probably won’t come as a surprise, but we are a family of goal setters. Both of my kids are in elite sports, and they’re consistently pushing themselves to achieve and hit massive goals. This has, as I’m sure you can imagine, resulted in a fair bit of disappointment over the years. You can’t always stand on the podium at the national championships or land the part in The Nutcracker that you really want.
In the goal setting world, there are two types of goals - process and outcome. We have shifted away, to the extent that makes sense, from outcome goals for things we can’t control, and instead, we focus on process goals. Let me explain.
Outcome goals focus on a specific milestone that may or may not be in your control. There’s a chance that even if you did everything you were “supposed” to and were deeply committed to hitting the target, you might not make it. For example, you could set an outcome goal to generate $100K in your business this year, but there’s a chance you may not get there. Not because you didn’t do all the “right” stuff but because other factors can influence that outcome.
Process goals, on the other hand, are goals where the outcome is based on specific steps you take. This requires you to break down the larger goal into smaller pieces. I prefer process goals because in some ways, it leverages the idea of setting goals that allow you to enjoy the journey a bit more.
A process goal could look like “Be more visible in my business.” Then you ask yourself what it would look like to do that in a way that allows you to thrive and shine. It could be going live two times a month on the social media of your platform, showing up for a networking event and being fully committed to being of service and building rich relationships every other week, or releasing a blog or podcast episode each week that showcases your thought leadership. The sky's the limit, but no matter what you choose, you are in control, and you either do it or you don’t.
James Clear, author of one of my favorite books, Atomic Habits, said, “Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.” When we have ownership and control over the setting and achieving of our business goals by ensuring they’re within our control in the first place, it gives us significantly more latitude and makes the process all the more fun!
Slow down and celebrate
There’s a lot of nonsense online that encourages us to hustle hard and to constantly do-do-do. I have been trapped in that spiral for nearly four years, but as I look at the year ahead, I’m purposely designing my business, so that I don’t have to do that anymore. For some, that may mean tweaking your business model, for others it could look like increasing your prices, or even revamping your expectations for what you want and can realistically accomplish in one year. This is where you get to reflect on what you actually want, how you want to feel, and then build.
Take time to celebrate. We hear this a lot, but I think part of the rat race is rooted in the fact that we never slow down and acknowledge what we have done. When you accomplish a big goal, you need to honor the fact that you did hard things and learned new things in order to reach your finish line. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not super great at this. I set a goal, do what it takes, and when I get done, I’m off to the next thing. But I’m learning that really doesn’t serve me, and I’m guessing it doesn’t serve you either. There are loads of reasons why, but the one that really resonates with me right now is that by not celebrating you don’t get to see the real impact you’re making. And at the end of the day, why else are you doing all this?
So, here’s to slowing down, pausing to reflect on what is and isn’t working, and celebrate the wins, big and small, all the way through to the end.
As you begin to step into 2023 and Design Your Best Year Yet, I hope you’ll give yourself some grace and set goals that are more humane, a little kinder, and that allow you to truly embrace what lights you up while enabling you to have the impact you really want to have on the world.
