Well, that was a great Christmas break; lots of fun stu ff, family meet ups and relaxing; ready for 2016. Or are you…?
For the last few weeks, we had some do-gooders tell us you need to plan, you should have some targets and you must set some goals. But they are just spouting the same old rubbish everybody else trawls out this time of the year aren’t they?!
Well, what if the do-gooders are actually right and having a plan, goal or target for your business is the actual secret ingredient to success. Would it not be worth giving it a try?
Like many of you, I have read lots and lots of books about the importance of having goals. Maybe, unlike some of you, I decide to follow the advice as they say success leaves clues.
I have always been a big goal setter and believed how important it is to have purpose and the clarity in our lives.
Earlier last year, I witnessed fi rst-hand the reality of what focus and clarity does for a three-year-old. It was back in May and we were on a family trip to Legoland. Now we are very fortunate as the kids favourite place on earth is only 17 minutes’ drive from our house.
However on this May morning, the twins were having one of those days…you know pushing, prodding, shouting at each other. Both Jacki and I were keen to get to Legoland, but also eager to get Lily and James out of the car.
Then I had an idea; I said to them both:
‘Let’s play a game’. Quiet ensued…
‘What game, daddy?’ exclaimed Lily.
I recounted the game: ‘Well Lily and James, the game is you can not say anything until you spot a certain car and the car has to be your favourite colour’
I smiled to Jacki because Lily’s favourite colour is… yes you’ve guessed it PINK (genius) and James’s is a bright green.
We should be at Legoland soon I thought to myself in the now deadly silent car. Anyway within a few minutes Lily excitedly pipes up: ‘Seen one!’.
‘Lily, did you not understand the rules?’
‘Yes daddy! There is a pink car over there….’
And she was right; in a drive of a house on the left was a pink car, not obvious, but right there, a bright pink shiny mini.
And do you know, on that journey Lily spotted 4 pink cars.
WHY? Because she was focused on that one task.
She loves to chat and this was her pass to allow her to speak.
Our minds are clever instruments and every second they are unconsciously taking in lots and lots of information. The brain however, cannot make use of all that information so it distorts, deletes and generalise most of it based on our filters of the world at that time.
So the new car you bought that you suddenly see on every street corner, or pregnant ladies everywhere when you’ve found out your wife was expecting (well it happened to me!) is because of this.
Science informs us that goal setting and planning sets your focus and activates your unconscious brain to energetically look for a way to help achieve your goals because this is your new filter. You would NOT have seen this stuff without that focus.
Let me take you back to October 2013 where Jacki and I packed o the twins to my mums, erected a few white boards in our lounge (we really did) and planned the next 3 years.
The reason we planned 3 years is because we were transforming away from one business into another, and James and Lily would be starting school in September 2016.
As most of you know our kids are everything to us, following the loss of our fi rst daughter Lou in 2010. It’s the reason I don’t work Fridays.
Just a few weeks ago I was attending one of our clients (Sian from Dizzy Ducks) 10-year business anniversary party on the Thames.
Jacki and I were looking out of the window at the magnificent London skyline and reminiscing about the last few years. This was mainly due to the fact we had just signed up to their new school which was part of our 2013 plan.
There were lots of other things on that plan including a holiday home and new family car, all made possible due to the absolute clarity of our goals for those 3 years.
I have been talking to a few business owners recently and asking them about 2016. One of the questions I love to ask is “what do you want?”, a simple question isn’t it? Well in these cases it appeared not, as it was about their drawings/earnings from their business.
A couple of things surprised me and then when I played back their answers, surprised them.
In general, the answers I got were big round numbers, 50k, 60k 100k etc…
Now big round numbers are great but do they really mean anything, as in what do YOU want to have, want to do or want to be in 2016 that the big round number should provide for?
This question stumped a few, confused a few more and scared a lot. As most, if not all, could not tell me!
So let me repeat it another way. In 2016 YOU as a business owner and individual…
- May want to achieve certain things
- May want to purchase certain things
- May want to go to certain places
- May want to become skilled at new things
- May want to move location
- May want to save for the future etc.
So here is the rub:
Without the understanding and clarity of what these things, places and skills are, there is little chance of you achieving them.
However, if the list above was clear, time-bound and costed, then YOU’D know exactly what your business needs to pay you and when.
Now this is clear you, can then develop a clear plan for its achievement.
Having entering 2016 imagine having the following:
- I want to do ……
- I want to have ……
- I want to become…
To achieve this, I will need to earn x by y and to do that I here is my plan ….
Now all I need to do is execute it.
How would that make you feel and what do you think the chances are you would achieve most if not all of it?
Good luck for 2016 as if you have not approached it this way, luck may be your best strategy.
