Goal Setting vs. New Years Resolutions
Ah…New Year’s Resolutions. It’s that time of year, right? The gym is about to get busy because everyone wants to lose weight. Expect to see a longer line at Whole Foods and a shorter one at the Golden Arches because it’s all about healthy eating. At least…for those first couple of weeks. And then it’s back to normal. That’s why I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. They don't work. But on the flip side, I am incredibly serious about goal setting. A resolution is all about saying you’re going to do something (or not to do something) right?
But setting goals are a whole lot more than that.
Why I use setting goals instead of resolutions and the difference between the two.
It’s about identifying something you want to accomplish and then putting steps into place that help you get there. And to me, setting goals is way more about opening up and seeing the huge opportunities that are in front of me (yay for abundance) as opposed to limiting what I can and can’t do.
So just before Christmas in my closed 0-$100K Facebook Group, my weekly live coaching really got focused on goal setting as part of building a successful online business. The feedback was crazy! People loved it. I honestly think I could hear them taking notes.
Okay, I know that’s “technically” impossible, but still.
After we wrapped up, I felt like sharing those same tips would be helpful for anyone who is looking to start or grow their own e-commerce business.
So here are some of my goal-setting tips:
- Preplan and set your goals. When I started the business Pick Your Plum, I was determined to sell something every day, 365 days out of the year. That was my goal. For you, a goal might be to identify a product once a week or spend specific time building relationships with deal sites. Whatever it is, write it on your calendar. Make that commitment
- Scheduling power hours at the same time every day. Whether you work from 10 pm to 2 am or 5 am to 7 am, make that commitment and put in on the calendar. Hold yourself to it and you’ll be amazed what you can get done.
- Create a community that needs you. I do a Facebook Live every Friday unless there’s an extreme situation. If I’m not there, I have another expert come in to fill in for me. The people I coach are counting on me, and I encourage you to find a community to depend on you. If nobody’s there at first, that’s totally okay. It will help you learn consistency, your voice—it will help you learn the value of it. Don’t give up just because no one’s watching. They will be soon enough.
- Be prepared for big opportunities. Get comfortable with your content and your voice. I was terrified to go on stage with Russell Brunson at one of his ClickFunnels Live events. But you know what? Because I’d been doing Facebook Lives and I knew my information and I knew my voice. So even though I was scared, I was ready. You need to be ready for those same kinds of big opportunities.
- Write out your checklist.Every night you need to write out your list for the next day. If you don’t plan out your day, you’ll spend way too much time doing things but not really accomplishing anything. It will give you the push you need to get to your goal faster. I use a whiteboard and a notebook. There I just put all my thoughts down to help me schedule my day. Using this, I don’t have to wonder where I’m going or what I’m doing, so that allows my brain to focus on other things.
- Hire people for the things you don’t like—and set goals for them. There is nothing wrong with not liking parts of your business. If you don’t like going after influencers, pay someone to do it. And give them a bonus if they meet their goals. You may pay them a few hundred dollars but get thousands back in return. And if you need the money to pay them, Craiglist something you have in your garage. There is always a way.
- Have a daily call.This one is so magical. Having a daily call keeps you dependable. I talk with my incredible assistant every day. She keeps me consistent. She makes sure I don’t miss appointments, makes sure I get things planned out…it all keeps me focused and keeps me going. If you can’t do a daily call, do a weekly goal call. Commit to it with a friend, another business owner—whoever will keep you accountable. Push each other. Try a money motivation. It works.
- Don’t be your own “flaky friend.” If you say you’re going to start something, be accountable to yourself. Be that reliable friend to yourself—because you deserve it. Like Rachel Hollis says, we need to be our best friend first. When you say something, you need to know it’s going to get done. Seriously. You deserve that.
Oh—and if you want a great resource on how to achieve your goals, I’m going to recommend that you read Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy. I’ve got a copy of it AND I listen to it in the car.
Here’s to a great year ahead—
