A Goal without an action plan is just a dream

Setting goals are very important to achieve anything. But having goals alone is not good enough. To get where you want to go, your GPS map gives directions to point you the way to your goal destination. You need to specify your goals with great clarity and directions to get what you want.

You want to be SMART about your goals

A goal needs to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Actionable
• Reachable
• Timely.

Be specific in your goal

Write down what you want to achieve, when it will be achieved, and what results are you going to get from it. Don’t just say “I want to get a million dollars in sales in a year.” You need to say “On December 31st I need to have made $1,000,236.35 in sales.” It may sound crazy to be so specific about your goal, but the more specific you are about what you’re trying to do, the more real it becomes.

Your goal needs to be measurable

Answer the questions “what is the amount that you need to have? When will it be achieved?” When you know how many months or how many dollars, you will know whether you’ve made progress.

Your goal needs to be actionable

You need to know what actions you need to take to achieve your goal. You can discover the actions you need to take by reverse-engineering the goal. To reach a million dollars of sales, how much do you need to sell each month? What do you have to do every week to get the sales you need each month? What does that mean every work order? Break it down to specifics so that you can measure your progress and keep on track to reach your goal.

Your goal needs to be reachable

Is your goal something you can actually achieve? If your goal is to make two million dollars in sales in a year, you need to ask: has anyone done this before? Is this even a possible goal? Make sure your goal is something you can do with a bit of effort, not something impossible for you to do.

Your goal needs to be timely

You need to answer the question “when will this be done?” When do you have to make certain actions? What do you have to do every day to make progress on your goal? What are the steps you have to take and when does each step need to happen?

The last aspect of achieving your goal is this:

Why are you trying to achieve this goal? What do you get out of achieving this goal? What personal growth do you get out of it? How does it affect your life? Is there a certain personal revenue you’re working at?  Is there a lifestyle you want to create, quality of life you’re aiming for? What is driving you? Is it your kids, your family? What is the emotional attachment you have to that goal?

Write all of these things down and you will have created a plan that will allow you to reach your goal.