Already feeling behind on your 2021 goals? There’s a good reason why and what you can do about it.
It's hard to believe we’re nearing the end of January and already one month into the new year!
Typically around this time, you might be revisiting your 2021 goals and feeling one of two ways:
👉🏼 Excited because you’re making steady progress and feeling confident in your plan to reach your goals.
If that’s you, awesome! Keep doing what you’re doing and you can probably skip the rest of this post.
👉🏼 But if instead, you’re feeling the pressure that time is ticking and you’re already behind on your 2021 goals then keep reading. There’s a good chance you’re making one of the most common mistakes when it comes to goal setting.
When it comes to setting goals, most of us are really clear on WHAT we want to achieve but don’t often consider HOW we’re going to achieve it.
We focus on the results we want, what I like to call OUTCOME goals. They are goals that focus on the outcome or result you want to achieve.
Examples of outcome goals include:
✅ Generate $100k of revenue in 2021
✅ Grow my list by 100 subscribers each quarter
✅ Enrol 5 new clients into my coaching program this month
Outcomes goals are great because they point you in the direction of where you want to go. They are measurable, specific and time-bound. You’re clear on what you want to achieve and by when.
But the challenge with outcome goals is that they are what is considered a lagging metric. With a lagging metric, you only know if you’re successful after the fact because you have little direct control over the end result.
You may set a goal of generating $100k in revenue by the end of the year but you can't directly control whether or not you achieve it.
The same is true for growing your email list. You may have a goal of 100 new subscribers each quarter but you can’t guarantee that outcome.
In order to further your chances of achieving your goals you need to go beyond just setting outcome goals. A key component of a successful goal setting strategy is the inclusion of ACTION goals.
Action goals are the actions or steps you need to take to move you towards your outcome goals. They measure your effort or actions. What's key about action goals, is that you have direct control over whether or not you follow through on them.
Action goals are directly linked to your outcome goals and are considered a leading metric because they are leading indicators of the likelihood of your success.
EXAMPLE:
Here’s an example of how your Action Goals directly influence your Outcome Goals:
🏆 OUTCOME GOAL is to grow your email list by 100 subscribers each quarter.
Your next step is to consider what actions are most likely to help you achieve that outcome?
Some actions you might consider include creating an enticing lead magnet and promoting it on your social media platforms, being featured on podcasts or running a challenge.
And it’s likely that over the course of the year you might try all three.
But let’s say for this specific quarter you’re going to focus on being a guest on podcasts.
You’ve been featured on podcasts previously and you know that on average, each time you’re featured on a podcast you get approximately 10 new subscribers.
So if you were to rely on podcasts exclusively you would need to be featured on at least 10 podcasts in one quarter in order to achieve your 100 new subscribers goal.
10 podcasts X 10 new sign-ups each time = 100 new subscribers
So now that you know you need to get featured on 10 podcasts the next step is to figure out how many podcasts you need to pitch in order to get booked on 10 podcasts.
Again based on your previous experience, you know that on average you get booked for 50% of the podcasts that you pitch. So if you wanted to be booked on 10 podcasts you’d need to send a pitch to at least 20 podcasts that quarter.
20 pitches X 0.5 (50%) success = 10 booked podcasts
So now you have your clear ACTION GOAL. You need to pitch at least 20 podcasts in order to get booked on at least 10 of them. So now you can create a plan for pitching 20 podcasts.
Can you see how much easier it is to implement an action goal versus an outcome goal?
You have direct control over whether or not you make 20 podcasts pitches. You don’t have direct control over whether or not you enroll 100 new subscribers.
But by taking consistent action on your Action Goals you’re much more likely to achieve your Outcome goals.
So if you find yourself looking at your 2021 goals and unsure of how you’re going to make them a reality, break them down into specific action goals that you can take that are directly related to the outcome you want to achieve.
I’d love to know in the comments below, what action goals are you creating that will help you ensure you’re on track to reach your outcome goals?
You've got this. I've got you!😊
Celia
P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want access to more business strategies and suggestions for how to grow your business, join the SheInBiz™ Sisterhood FB group today!. I go live every Tuesday to answer your business questions.
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