The start of the year is a chance for a fresh start, a new calendar, and the feeling of endless possibilities. As a business owner, setting goals during this time is without a doubt the best way to keep pushing yourself forward.

Without goals, you run the risk of heading into the new year with no focus. This can lead you to waste time and energy on tasks that aren’t going to lead to tangible results in your business. So, how exactly do you start setting better goals?

In this blog, I’m going to share some of my tips for setting positive goals that you can be confident you will completely smash in 2022.

Make them SMART

You might have heard that your goals should always be SMART, but what exactly does this mean? SMART starts for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. This basically means that setting better goals will result in better outcomes. 

So, rather than saying “I want to grow my business in 2022”, try saying “I want to increase sales by 25% in 2022.” This is very specific, easily measurable, completely achievable, relevant to your goals, and defined to a specific time limit.

Split the year into quarters

If you’re prone to starting the year with lofty ambitions and then slowly forgetting what you were aiming for as the year progresses, you’re not alone. This is an all-too-common problem that business owners face. 

What you need to do is split your goals into manageable steps, and then split your year into similarly manageable chunks. So, if your goal is to grow your team to eight members by the end of  2022, then make it a goal to add two team members every quarter. Adding two team members is far less intimidating than eight!

Build habits that support your goals

Have you ever heard this quote?

 “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

When it comes to business goals, you can’t expect that you will achieve them with a single action or a lightbulb moment. Instead, you need to create habits in your business that will support these goals.

For some people, this means freeing up time to focus on the bigger picture. For others, it could mean investing in training and development to make running a business easier. Whatever your goals, make sure you are supporting them with good habits.

Review regularly

If you feel the goals you set at the start of the year are slipping away from you, it’s time to check in with your original goals and review what steps you have taken to help move the needle in the right direction.

You might choose to carry out monthly reviews to see what you have done to move closer to your goals. This will allow you to assess if your new habits are helping or hindering your progress.

Ask for help

When it comes to setting goals in your business, you don’t have to achieve them alone. Sometimes having someone to bounce ideas around with can help to bring direction and focus to your goals. Working with a VA on a regular retainer can help you to achieve this clarity and focus.