This month has been all about finding your purpose, executing on it effectively and then letting your customers and staff know what the purpose is in your organization. We did all that work up front to get to this point. You’re now ready to work on your goals for 2017.

While many people plan to work on their goals over Christmas, it rarely happens. Most of my clients they intend to work on their goals over the holidays and instead stuff comes up, so they don’t get to them until they’re back at work in January and they’re already starting on the back foot.

You should have your goals and major projects decided before November begins, but starting today is better than some planned time in the future.

How to build your goals

A few weeks ago I gave you a clear process to set your goals and break them down into chunks you can manage. By using this goal strategy, with the regular check-ins, you can see where things are going off the rails early and then adjust. Most business owners fail here because they only look back at their goals properly at the end of the year, and by that point you’ve either missed them or got them. You can’t adjust your work to hit them still — you’re stuck with things are they are.

The keys to achieving those goals

The key to achieving your goals is reviewing the progress towards them. Unfortunately many people set their goals in December and then if they look at them again it’s in December the following year. Many people never look at their goals again, and then proceed to set new goals.

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The key to helping your reviews go well is telling others about your goals and having them hold you accountable to them.

Something that’s present when we deal with our own obstacles is always missing when we hear other people’s problems: the baggage. With other people we can be objective. – The Obstacle is the Way

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a call with one of my coaching clients and see a hole in their business they didn’t see. Then I go to my own coach and get presented with almost the exact same hole in my business. I’m clearly capable of seeing the issues with others and yet totally blind to my own issues many times.

This is why I have a coach — to call me out when I’m missing things or fooling myself. While these conversations can be painful, the growth that results is exactly what every business owner needs if they want to grow and build the business they’ve been dreaming of.

If you don’t have someone to keep you accountable, I’d love to help you run that business you dream of.

photo credit: the-magic-tuba-pixie cc