Archives for January 3, 2023

How To Avoid “Shiny Object Syndrome” And Stay Focused On Your Goals

Shiny object syndrome is a common problem faced by many business owners. It refers to the tendency to become easily distracted by new and shiny opportunities, often leading to a lack of focus and an inability to complete tasks or projects.

Business owners are often faced with a never-ending stream of ideas, opportunities, and projects, and it can be tempting to jump from one to the next without fully committing to any of them. This can lead to a lack of progress, as the business owner is constantly starting new things but never finishing anything.

There are a few key ways that business owners can avoid shiny object syndrome and make real progress on their priorities:

1. Set clear goals and priorities: By having a clear sense of what you want to achieve, you can avoid getting distracted by unrelated opportunities.

2. Create a plan and stick to it: Develop a detailed plan for achieving your goals and make sure to stick to it. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked by shiny new opportunities.

3. Use time management techniques: Implementing effective time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking, can help you stay focused and avoid becoming distracted by new opportunities.

4. Evaluate new ideas: When a new opportunity or idea presents itself, it’s important to take the time to carefully evaluate whether or not it is worth delaying your current priorities to pursue. Consider whether the idea aligns with your long-term goals, and whether it is feasible given your current workload and resources. If the idea is not worth pursuing immediately, consider adding it to a list of ideas to revisit later.

5. Make a decision: Once you have evaluated a new idea, it’s important to make a decision and stick with it. If you decide to pursue the new idea, be sure to adjust your plan and priorities accordingly. If you decide not to pursue it but want to revisit the idea later, be sure to add it to a document that you can revisit at a later date. If you decide not to pursue the idea at all, it’s important to let go and stay focused on your current projects.

By following these tips, business owners can avoid shiny object syndrome and make real progress on their priorities. While it can be tempting to jump from one opportunity to the next, it’s important to stay focused and committed in order to achieve success.

8 Steps To Set Your Business Up for Success in 2023 With Achieving Your Goals

Setting and achieving goals is an essential part of running a successful business. It helps you define what you want to accomplish, create a plan to get there, and measure your progress along the way. In this article, we’ll discuss how a business owner can set and achieve their goals in 2023.

1. Identify your goals using the SMART criteria

The first step in setting and achieving your goals is to identify what you want to accomplish. One effective way to do this is by using the SMART criteria. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By setting goals that meet these criteria, you can ensure that they are clear and achievable.

2. Create a plan with specific action steps and deadlines

Once you’ve identified your goals, it’s time to create a plan to achieve them. This should include specific action steps that you will take to reach your goals, as well as deadlines for completing each step. It’s also a good idea to assign responsibility for each step to a specific team member or department. This helps ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and that there is clear accountability for their completion.

There are various goal setting and planning methodologies that you can use to help you with this part, which are covered in more detail in this article. Make sure you check out number 4 in that article because it explains my favorite methodology that I personally use.

3. Track your progress regularly

To stay on track and make sure you are making progress towards your goals, it’s important to track your progress regularly. This could involve setting up a system to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), such as sales, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Regularly reviewing these metrics will help you understand where you are making progress and where you may need to adjust your approach.

4. Celebrate your accomplishments

In addition to tracking your progress, it’s also important to celebrate your accomplishments along the way. Recognizing the hard work and achievements of your team can help keep morale high and motivate everyone to continue working towards your goals.

5. Set aside dedicated time for goal setting and review

To ensure that you are making progress towards your goals, it’s important to set aside dedicated time to focus on them. This could involve setting aside dedicated time each week to review your progress, or creating a regular schedule for goal setting and review.

6. Eliminate distractions and time-wasting activities

One effective way to stay focused on your goals is to eliminate distractions and time-wasting activities. This could involve setting boundaries around how you use your time, such as not checking email after a certain time each day or limiting the amount of time you spend on social media. By eliminating distractions and focusing on what’s most important, you can ensure that you are making the most of your time and making progress towards your goals.

7. Build a strong team

Another key to achieving your goals is building a strong team. Surrounding yourself with talented and motivated individuals can help you achieve your goals faster and more effectively. This could involve hiring new team members, delegating tasks to existing team members, or providing training and development opportunities to help your team grow and improve.

8. Be flexible and adaptable

Finally, it’s important to be flexible and adaptable as you work towards your goals. No matter how carefully you plan, there will always be unexpected challenges and setbacks. By being open to change and willing to pivot when necessary, you can ensure that you stay on track and continue making progress towards your goals.

In conclusion, setting and achieving your goals is essential to the success of your business. By defining clear, SMART goals, creating a plan to achieve them, tracking your progress, and building a strong team, you can ensure that you are making the most of your time and resources and achieving the success you desire in 2023.

4 Effective Goal Setting Methodologies to Help Your Business Succeed in 2023 and Beyond

Now that the new year has arrived, as a business owner, you are most likely working on your strategic plans for the upcoming year. Effective goal setting and strategic planning is essential for the success of any business. It helps you define what you want to achieve, create a plan to get there, and track your progress along the way, as I covered in more detail in this article.

While there are many different goal setting methodologies available, it’s important to remember that all goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Regardless of which methodology you choose, incorporating the SMART components into your goals will help ensure that they are clear and achievable.

Let’s look at a few powerful goal setting methods you may want to consider using to help achieve your goals (including my personal favorite):

1. EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

The EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a goal setting and management system developed by Gino Wickman. It helps businesses clarify, simplify, and achieve their goals by focusing on six key components: vision, people, data, issues, process, and traction.

One key aspect of the EOS method is the annual planning process, which involves setting clear, measurable goals for the year and breaking them down into quarterly and monthly targets. These quarterly and monthly goals, known as “rocks,” help ensure that you are making progress towards your long-term goals and allow you to adjust your approach as needed.

The EOS method emphasizes the importance of regular check-ins and meetings to ensure that everyone is aligned and focused on achieving their goals. This includes weekly meetings, where team members review their progress and discuss any issues or challenges they are facing. It also includes quarterly reviews, where the team takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture, reviewing progress towards their long-term goals and making any necessary adjustments.

By using the EOS system and breaking down your goals into quarterly rocks, you can create a clear plan for achieving your goals and stay on track to reach them. The regular check-ins and meetings help ensure that everyone is aligned and focused on what’s most important, and the quarterly review helps you take a step back and assess your progress towards your long-term goals.

2. OKR (Objectives and Key Results)

The OKR (Objectives and Key Results) method is a goal setting methodology developed by Intel and used by companies like Google and LinkedIn. It involves setting ambitious, measurable goals (called Objectives) and specific, measurable targets (called Key Results) to track progress towards those goals.

The OKR method helps ensure that goals are aligned with the overall vision and strategy of the organization and that everyone is working towards the same objectives.

One key aspect of the OKR method is setting goals that are challenging, but achievable. This helps ensure that everyone is stretched, but not overwhelmed. It’s also important to make sure that Key Results are measurable and that progress can be tracked. By setting clear, measurable goals and tracking progress regularly, you can ensure that you are making progress towards your objectives.

3. BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

The BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is a long-term, ambitious goal that inspires and motivates your team. While the BHAG may seem out of reach at first, breaking it down into smaller, achievable goals can help you make progress towards it.

One key aspect of the BHAG method is that it should be inspiring and motivating. It should be something that gets everyone excited and energized about working towards it. It’s also important to make sure that the BHAG is aligned with the overall vision and strategy of the organization. By setting a clear and inspiring long-term goal, you can motivate and engage your team and drive progress towards it.

4. Freedom Planning

The Freedom Planning process is a process I designed for myself and that I use with my private clients to help them achieve their business and personal goals. The process involves using a Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Freedom Planner to track your progress towards these goals.

The key to the freedom planning process is that you are not only identifying and measuring your business goals, but you are also identifying and measuring the goals related to your epic life plan and the 8 categories of happiness that I recommend you identify and measure.  By setting goals in both business and personal areas, you can ensure that you are making progress towards achieving your ideal life and business.

The Daily Freedom Planner is a key component of the Freedom Planning process. It helps you learn how to focus on the top 2-2 needle movers that are most important each day to make progress towards your long-term goals. By focusing on the needle movers each day and identifying time hacks you can apply to the rest of your list, you can make consistent progress towards your goals.

The Freedom Planning process also emphasizes the importance of regular review and planning. By setting aside time each week and month to review your progress and make adjustments as needed, you can ensure that you are staying on track to achieve your goals.

To learn more about my Freedom Planning process and how it can help you achieve your business and personal goals, you can check out the book “The Vacation Effect for Entrepreneurs” at https://denisegosnell.influexdev.com/book. For a limited time, you can also book a free roadmap session at https://denisegosnell.influexdev.com/roadmap and receive a free copy of my Daily Freedom Planner tool as a bonus for completing the roadmap session.

By using the Freedom Planning methodology, you can create a clear plan for achieving your goals and make progress towards your ideal life. It’s great to have plans for your business, but isn’t about time you gave your life goals as much attention and tracking? I think so.

No matter what goal setting methodology you choose to use, whether that be EOS, OKR, BHAG, or my own Freedom Planning process, it’s important to make sure that your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By setting clear, achievable goals and tracking your progress regularly, you can ensure that you are making progress towards your objectives and achieving the success you desire. I wish you a fantastic year ahead and hope to contribute further to your growth.