Goals are an integral piece of how we get where we’re going. It’s great practice to set big goals looking three, five, or ten years down the road. Ask yourself, “What are the big things that I want in life or in business?” The real value moving in the direction of these goals, however, comes in smaller action steps. Micro-goals keep us on track; they are attainable. We can check them off our list each week.
To ensure these day-to-day action steps fall in line with the big picture, it’s valuable to periodically take a step back, survey the big picture, and see if something needs to shift. Have you found yourself on a detour? Doing this will help you see if you need to pivot and alter the direction of your energy.
If you’re a business owner, you will very likely have to pivot at one point or another. What was working may not continue to work. Welcome new ideas and try new things to see what sticks. Sometimes it is through trial and error that you find the exact solution you need.
Do your goals overwhelm you? Perhaps this is because you’re not sure how to actually put steps in place to realize them. So, make a plan. “Here’s what I’ll do first.” It’s a clarifying process to put pen to paper and write this down. It will get easier after defining that first step.
From here, determine micro-goals to implement on a regular basis. The duration of these may vary depending on the goal you’ve set. Let’s run through an example. Perhaps your goal is to read one book each month for professional development. The first step is to create a list of books you’d like to read so you don’t have to think about the next book once the prior one is completed. Micro-goals could be the following: 1) Read 20 minutes each day before starting my work day. 2) Take notes on thoughts that stood out at the end of those 20 minutes. Add these small steps to your daily or weekly schedule and check them off as you complete them. Doing so can be extremely satisfying and gives you momentum to take the next step.
Where do you stand? Do you have a goal, but aren’t sure how to reach it? Do you have action steps in mind, but aren’t sure if they will be effective? Are you contemplating which goal you should make in the first place? I’m here to help. It gives me so much joy to coach individuals and be a guide as they map out intentional steps to reach the place they want to be.
If you enjoyed this article, listen to my guest appearance on the Work Alchemy podcast.