“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where–” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “-so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation. “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
Goal setting in business can feel just like this. Except we might change “walk long enough” to “work hard enough.” But what if you would like to take the shortcut? If you would like to feel confident in your direction and that it will take you someplace you would like to go? Goals are a great way of accomplishing that.
I like to start with “how much money do I need to NET (after expenses) in order to live the life I want to live. Sure, you have to pay the bills, and what about the rest? I mean, who wants to just scrape by? So, what’s the number? Then, add in the expenses for the business, taxes, etc. What the gross?
Now that you have the gross, divide that number by your average commission (in dollars, not a percent) and figure out how many transactions that takes. Easy peasy. Put that number everywhere! On the visor of your car, on your bathroom mirror, as the screen saver on your phone. You get the idea.
Once you are clear on the goal, now is time to break it into bite-sized (I like weekly) pieces and track your progress. Most of us don’t check where we are until the end of the year. It’s like driving from NYC to San Diego and not checking the GPS until you get to the west coast! Measure your progress each and every week and make adjustments accordingly.
And if you’re really excited about your goal? Get a coach to help you stay on track. I find I get more done in the 24 hours (ok, really in the 4 hours) before my coaching call than I do the rest of the week combined! You need someone who won’t let you let yourself down.
Once you have all that? Do. The. Work.
You got this!
