If you’re like most people, you have probably made your New Year’s resolutions. I don’t make resolutions anymore. In my opinion, they’re generally a waste of time. You usually make resolutions just for the sake of making them, with no intention to keep them, or if you do intend to keep them, you stick to them for a week or maybe a month, then they are forgotten until the next New Year comes around.
You know I’m right, don’t you? I’m sure you’ve experienced this yourself. Whether they are business-related resolutions or exercise/weight loss resolutions, you have good intentions starting out, but those intentions conveniently fade and you don’t hold yourself accountable to them.
So forget the resolutions. Instead, sit down and set some serious goals for yourself and your business. Put some thought and effort into it. Everyone needs to set goals, including coaches and virtual assistants.
If you’re a virtual assistant or you are looking at changing careers, maybe you need to take action to learn a new skill. If you’re a coach (or any entrepreneur), maybe you need to improve your marketing and online presence, or create new programs or products.
- Create a reasonable list of long-term goals for the year. Don’t make the list too long and overwhelming. It may only consist of a few bigger goals, but make sure at least one item on the list stretches you out of your comfort zone slightly.
- Then make a list of achievable, short-term goals for the next three months. Again, avoid making the list too long. Use your long-term goal list for inspiration and make sure these are goals you can commit to. At this point, you don’t need to necessarily know all the details of how you’re going to achieve those goals, although that certainly helps, but you need to be willing to commit to them, knowing they will catapult your business and success forward.
- Take at least one item on your short-term goal list and break it down into smaller steps. What baby steps need to take place to achieve this goal? Get started on these right away.
If you have trouble with breaking down the goals and knowing what steps need to be taken, then you need to consult with either a business coach or life coach (depending on your circumstances), and/or a good virtual assistant who works with successful entrepreneurs in your niche. They will help you form your ideas, give you motivation, give you structure, hold you accountable to your goals, help you plan a strategy and give you a place to get started. After all, you don’t make progress by standing still and doing nothing. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
Any steps on your list that are difficult or too time consuming for you (eg. technical skills), or are easy but are distracting you and taking time away from your billable working hours (eg. administrative work), you need to outsource those steps to a virtual assistant. There is only so much that you can do yourself, and many times, someone else can do it better and much more efficiently. Remember, a virtual assistant isn’t an employee, but a fellow business owner and a partner in your success.
If you’re a busy, overwhelmed coach who needs to delegate more, or if you’re a newer coach who would like to implement the systems and strategies that the established, successful coaches use, go ahead and schedule your free 30-minute Discovery Session session today to discover if we would work well together.
If you’re an aspiring virtual assistant, get a free e-book to learn more about becoming a VA and join me at my Virtual Assistant Mastery Facebook page.
I completely agree! I don’t make New Resolutions either, can’t stand them. I make business goals and then I also have words for the year with spiritual intentions that I focus on. My words this year are Love, Success and Fun. I am focusing on these in my meditations and other spiritual practices.
Thanks for posting your blog. Please make sure to comment on some other blogs to encourage others to comment as you were quite late posting 🙂
Louise Edington
I love the words to use in meditations and intentions! Yes, I’ve posted on a few blogs and I’ll post on yours in a few minutes. It might take me a day or so to get to everyone, as I work it into my schedule, but I plan to post a comment on all the blogs on the group list! There is also a blog party taking place on my Facebook page, if you have any interest in that. http://www.facebook.com/Transcribble
Great post Lisa! I agree and I am guilty of making New Year’s Resolutions year after year and failing after a short time. I have been writing down monthly goals with two of my friends and we meet and keep each other accountable. I need to set some serious long-term goals…thanks for the inspiration!
You’re quite welcome. Accountability partners are great to help keep you on track and motivated! May 2013 be the best year yet! 🙂
I have not made any new resolutions this year. I am continuing to complete the goals from last year I did not complete. I do not wait for Jan of the next year to become a new "ME".
ShaChena Gibbs,
Real Sisters Rising.
http://www.realsistersrising.com
That’s the best way to do it! As I complete goals on my list, I usually add new ones to the bottom, so I have a list going all year. But for those who don’t set goals, now is a great time to start.
Hi Lisa,
I stopped making the traditional resolutions a few years back… now I just do some personal and business planning in Nov/ Dec and am ready to implement in January. A solid plan takes the place of a list of near impossibles or unrealistic expectations. I do think BIG… but I don't write things like- I will never have a cookie again:) or I will be in the gym 24/7-lol- great post.
Well, writing down that I will never have a cookie again would be completely unrealistic for me! However, writing that I will not sit down and eat the entire bag of cookies would be a good personal goal for me to work toward. 😉 Yes, a solid plan is what is needed.
Hi, Lisa! I have been thinking of goals since early Dec. and know that is is the way to go for me, too. Further self-searching and planning is in store before I commit. Your article was very timely for me, as it reinforced what I’m doing. I so appreciate that boost! Thank you… I like your site and think your contact me and send voicemail buttons are splendid!
Hi Jan, I’m so happy you found it helpful! Thank you for the nice comments! Good luck in setting your goals. 🙂
Hey Lisa, I only ever make one resolution and that’s not to make any 🙂
I’ve proudly kept that resolution for the last 11 years…
I think that goal setting and planning is a continuous action and not something done once a year. Great article, thanks for sharing it with us.