Friday, January 8, 2016

Staying on Track - Reaching Goals – Achieving Resolutions



Well its one week into the New Year.  Did you make some New Year’s resolutions?  Goals?  For yourself?  For your business?  So how are you doing?  What is your track record?  How many goals and/or resolutions did you put on your list that are repeats?  That you either abandoned or didn’t quite attain last year?  Or are you one of the ones that just quit making resolutions and goals?
Lots of questions, I know, but if we keep putting the same goals and resolutions on our list year after year, then it poses the question to ask why.  Why aren’t we reaching these goals?  Is it that important to us?  It must be or we wouldn’t keep putting them on the list time after time, year after year.  Do we lack the skill set?  Hmmm….maybe, maybe not.  If we have the skill set, then do we lack the time?
I had a conversation this past week with a business acquaintance and she talked about ‘staffing for your weaknesses.’  This got me to thinking about why goals and resolutions don’t get achieved, but yet we keep saying we want to reach/achieve said goals and/or resolutions.  Which brings up more questions.
·        Is it really important to us – Will it make us happier, healthier, wealthier if achieved?
·        Do we have the skill set – if not, then why not seek out the expertise needed.  This might be in the areas of our health, diet and/or exercise.  Why not hire a personal trainer and/or a nutritionist, the expertise needed to finally achieve the results wanted.
·        If we have the skill set – is it a strength?  Sometimes we may have the skill set, but it is not a strength or we had rather do something else.  For example:  We may want to get a handle on our finances, profit and loss, etc. for our business.  We know how to do all of this, but it’s not one of our strengths or we just don’t enjoy doing this type of work.  Outsource the work.  Hire a bookkeeper or an accountant who can track the information and provide an analysis.
·        Do we lack the time – or not making the time to put forth the effort?  If it is something someone else can do – outsource it.  For example:  I can and know how to clean my house, but I don’t like to do it so therefore it takes me 3 times as long as it does for the person I have who does it for me.  I had rather be on my computer creating an email marketing newsletter for my clients or setting up clients social media sites.   I enjoy doing that.  So, find the expertise who can do the tasks you don’t have time or don’t want to do yourself.
There are certain aspects of our life and business we like and enjoy doing and we are good at them.  And then there are other things that we may can do, but it’s not a strength and/or we don’t enjoy it.  So comes the question, would we be better off outsourcing the task, hiring the expertise, or it is just something we just have to buckle down and do ourselves.  These are the questions that each of us have to answer and figure out.  My advice is to focus on your strengths, what you enjoy and outsource what you can.  That way you free up the time to concentrate and devote the time to do the things that are your strengths and that you do enjoy and hopefully brings in the revenue to pay for the outsourcing.
Sometimes we can even combine something we enjoy with something we need to do.  I have to put a plug in for my youngest daughter here.  She also works on a computer all day and as a result needs to exercise more.  To solve the issue she has rigged a desk/platform on her treadmill for her computer so she can work and exercise at the same time.  Talk about the 'mother of invention.'  I thinks she is on to something.
So before you abandon your New Year’s resolutions/goals, think about why you want to quit and work through the questions.  And if you need further help, my oldest daughter is a counselor and that’s her expertise, helping people sort things out.
Here’s To Achieving Your Goals in 2016,
Annette
"Helping My Clients and Their Business Look Good"

 

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