Working towards success in your small business may seem like a simple equation: Doing the work equals success. However, even the most hardworking individuals can run into issues within their operations if they don’t establish the proper mindset. Being able to think in a certain way makes all the difference when it comes to floundering or flourishing. That is why you need to adopt the mindset of a winner. But how exactly can you do that? Start with a goal and develop an action plan.
Establish your Goals
Before beginning any new endeavor, you will want to establish your goals. Maybe your big goal is to make a million dollars. Now, that’s a great goal to have, but if that’s the only one you have, you will have difficulties reaching success. Why? Because it’s not digestible. Breaking down your main goal into smaller and more attainable ones will allow you to work towards success with shorter timelines and more focus. For example, the goal of making a million dollars can be broken down into smaller monetary successes such as making your first 100K.
You may also want to incorporate other goals that don’t involve money, such as how many clients you want to take on each year and how you want to grow your business. Having smaller and more attainable goals that act as stepping stones towards your big dream will need to be established.
Develop Action Plans
Once you have ironed out your big why and the achievements needed to get there, you can develop action plans you can actively work on while you grow your business. You will break each action plan down into three parts:
· Yearly
· Monthly
· Weekly
What this means is that if you plan to make 100K per year, knowing what you have to accomplish every week and then again every month will help you get there with ease. Breaking down the goal into smaller time frames is the equivalent of taking things day by day to attain accessible goals while working on your yearly action plan.
Think of each smaller goal as a piece of the puzzle of your larger one. You will need to adhere to every action plan to ensure that you complete the full picture at the end of the year.
Follow Through
Running your own business can sometimes feel like a harrowing juggling act because of all the variables you need to take care of. Because of that, it may lead to difficulties following through on your smaller goals as you work towards overall success. The problem with that is the smaller goals are equally as crucial to the overall goal, and without them, you will not be able to follow through with any of your action plans. These action plans are symbiotic and rely on one another to flourish. Without any follow-through, those action plans will be useless, and thus, your efforts may as well be, too.
A winner’s mindset is not something you can simply switch on. You have to work for it every day, and you can only do that by establishing goals, developing action plans, and following through on them.
Colin Bradford is a certified MAPS and The One Thing, Coach.