TARGETS AND BENCHMARKS

Almost every TIPS subscriber knows the value of defining and
writing down your most important goals. In business,
however, I often find that we fail to break our goals into
small enough chunks. We have 5-year plans and yearly goals
or objectives, but we don't break them down into monthly
targets and daily activities.
As a wise man once told me, "A goal without a plan is just a
pipedream."
If your goals are important, get a calendar and break them
down into specific targets. An obvious example is that if
you wish to save $5000 this year, commit to depositing $417
in your savings account each (and every) month.
Many of my professional clients have goals to improve their
services, attract more clients, and increase revenues, but
they fail to break these goals into specific action steps.
What does "better service" mean in terms of activities this
week? What needs to happen to attract new clients this week?
Who is responsible for the marketing plan? What’s the budget
and what are the expected results?
Without specific benchmarks along the way, we rarely reach
our long-term goals. Have the courage to examine your goals
in terms of daily, weekly and monthly activities, then hold
yourself accountable. Are you taking steps to market your
business? Is your level of customer satisfaction going up?
Are you cutting costs? Are you doing better work? How do you
measure your progress day by day?
The answers to these questions will determine whether or not
you reach your goals, and ultimately, whether or not you
create the business and the life you really want.