Goals are the most important part of growth. At ZING, we call them “The Big Rocks”. Why? Because they’re a big deal. And if you get your goals into gear now, you’ll be setting yourself up for your best year ever.
When it comes to sticking to your plan, here’s what works: Your goals should be measurable and celebrate-able. Who doesn’t love a good party? Keep your targets realistic – look at your lifestyle and time commitments, and make sure you’re setting attainable goals in a timely manner.
Goals help you to motivate your team, to get everyone on the same page. They’re the stepping stones to the big picture – your dream.
When you take two steps forward and one back – or even one step forward and two back – you need to forgive yourself and understand it’s part of the process of success. So, keep your eye on the outcome, the big picture, your Big Rocks.
Now, let’s make next year your best year ever by getting your goals into gear. How do you set attainable goals? How do you measure them? And how do you make sure you reach them? Here’s where to start when setting your goals, your Big Rocks.
Step 1: Find your Big Rocks
If you don’t know where you are right now, there’s no way to find out where you want to go. The most common Big Rocks are spinning around time, team and money. Yours might be different: you might want to get your health on top of the game or take off on an 8-week adventure in Europe.
You need to think long and hard. What do you really want? What would be truly amazing? A helpful tool is to empty the contents of your head onto a piece of paper and go from there. Think big. Be brave. Go after those things you’ve always hoped for.
Step 2: Reward yourself
You deserve it! Against each goal, write down how you’re going to reward yourself when you achieve it. Be specific; these rewards need to be part of your plan. Whatever your nominated rewards, make sure your system is enticing enough to motivate you to work hard, but modest enough to be sustainable in the long run.
Step 3: Check in with yourself
What might get in your way of achieving your Big Rocks? A team member could leave. You might catch a bug and be unexpectedly out of action. The key is to keep your eye on the prize, and re-focus on your Big Rocks to guide you through any setbacks.
Make sure there’s plenty of support for you. No matter how driven you are, tell your family, friends and your team so they can keep you accountable. You’d be foolish to think you can achieve success single-handedly. Be determined to succeed and make your Big Rocks the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.
A mentor or coach can dispense valuable advice so you won’t have to learn the basics the hard way. Seek out specific people who can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Step 4: Break down the tasks
Now comes the challenging part. Don’t let this process overwhelm you; rely on your instinct. You can break your long-term goals into smaller tasks – and these ones into even smaller actions. That way you feel like you’re getting somewhere! Even small wins are wins.
Brainstorm what changes you’ll need to implement or lifestyle adjustments you’ll need to make to transform your goals into reality. Write down all the break-down actions for your goals and, for every single task, include a timeline for when you’ll accomplish it.
Step 5: Measure your progress
You can’t change what you don’t measure. Let’s look at an example. It’d be simple to say you’d like to work fewer hours on the floor without dropping any income. Now imagine if you put some numbers around it – you want to reduce by 8 hours before April, and by another 8 hours before August. To be able to reduce your hours, you might need someone to cover your time or take over some of your workload.
By having a list and a measured action plan, you can see what needs to be done and also track the progress you’re making. You get to manage the change in smaller chunks, and to celebrate and reward yourself and your team at each progress point.
Your Big Rocks are made up of tasks and the tasks are made up of many smaller actions. Set up your yearly planner, schedule in your actions and achieving your Big Rocks becomes an easy step-by-step process. Now stand back and watch your best year ever in your salon, spa or clinic unfold in all its glory.
Kai Schnitzler is a Business Coach for the hair, beauty, salon and spa space at The ZING Project. For more wisdom email me at kai@zingcoach.com.au.
