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Working with creatives and creative business owners I’ve
found that the biggest barriers to success are not
usually those involving creativity, but rather finding
the time to be creative. The day to day practicalities
of running a business, or prioritising your workload can
create a level of stress and confusion, leaving you
exhausted and unable to see the way forward.
Effective goal setting is one of the most powerful
tools to combat the confusion. By knowing what you want,
its easier to define the tools and processes you need to
get you there, leaving you free to concentrate on the
business at hand with clarity, direction and renewed
motivation.
Goal setting can be really tricky but there are a few
practical ways to make it a bit easier. One of the most
effective ways to do this is to use the SMART process.
1. Every time you set a goal, make sure it is:
Specific (eg not 'i want to be more successful' but 'I
want to increase profits in these specific areas by this
date).
Measureable (specific amounts, numbers, how will you
know when you have achieved this?).
Achievable (in the time available, do you have or could
you access the resources necessary).
Realistic (considering your current situation,
commitments etc, what would you need to change to make
this goal realistic?).
Timed (date specific, not 'in 3 months' but 'by the 3rd
October 2006').
2. Next, write out your goal in full, in the present
tense, as if it has already happened eg 'It is the 3rd
October 2006 and I have increased my profits by etc'
3. Set up a 'goal beyond the goal', if I achieve this,
it will lead to'. Make sure that the goal and especially
the goal beyond the goal are really compelling and
exciting. If not, ask yourself, 'do I really want this?
and alter the goal to make sure you really do!
4. Check for 'Anti-Goals' or reasons why you would not
want to achieve your goal (for example a person wanting
to lose weight might be frightened that they won't have
fun any more, you might be worried that a more
successful business might impact on family life, or
create stress). These reservations can be powerful
obstacles to getting what you want. If there are
specific issues which create anxiety, go back to the
original goal and alter it so it encompasses a solution
to these problems, eg 'I have increased my profits by
... allowing me to employ extra staff to cover the
workload'.
5. Create a series of intermediary goals. If your major
goal is for one year hence, work backwards defining
stages for 6 months, 3 months, 1 month etc.
6. Finally, decide what you can do tomorrow to move one
step closer to getting what you want.
