When we think about games of strategy, we often think of chess. All of your moves are made to bring you to where you triumphantly declare, “Check Mate!” Similarly, being strategic in your business or life means you have a definite outcome in mind and all of your actions are moving towards it. The 2nd "S" in the SMART-EST goal setting system is setting STRATEGIC goals.
With strategic goals, we want to look 3-5 years down the road and have an outcome we are shooting for. The goals we will set over the next several years should be in line to get us closer and closer to that outcome. Today, maybe your business is just starting out with a few products and a few Business-2-Business customers, but in 5 years you want to have several divisions and 20% of the market share in an area, state etc. Over the next several years, you will set many goals; if you are strategic about it, most of these goals should lead you to that one big significant outcome.
However, we and the environment are constantly changing. Wouldn’t it be great if we could pick an outcome for five years from now, set all our goals now, and be confident that we will reach our outcome? But that’s not the reality of the changing landscape. Instead, you will need to set a series of strategic goals that bring you ever closer to your 3-5 year outcomes. While we hope this is a straight line of arrows and targets all getting closer to the outcome, it is more likely that we will zig-zag a bit with our goals. It’s also likely that the target itself will move a little. We need to set-short term goals that align with our longer-term strategy while making sure we adapt and redefine our long-term strategy. We need to constantly look ahead 3, 5 even 10 years to ensure we don’t get left in the dust!
When setting goals, make sure you set goals that align with your five year strategy whether it’s for your personal life, career or business. That doesn’t mean that all goals need to be directed towards just one thing, but it does mean that you don’t want to distract yourself or your staff by a large number of unrelated goals. For example, let’s say you are setting goals for your personal life. Your goal is to have two streams of passive revenue that will allow you to semi-retire in 5 years, buy a peaceful mountain property and spend time writing. So when you set your annual goals, you set them around a bunch of things – learning to rock-climb, playing the piano, and taking at least a one-month vacation in the Caribbean. Right?? Well, not if you want to reach your big outcome of having passive income and being able to semi-retire in 5 years! While it’s OK to develop in these areas, none of these are likely to earn you passive income! Your goals don’t all need to directly support your big outcome, but you definitely need goals that don’t compete with your desired outcome!
Have you taken the time to set your 3-5 year outcome goals? If not, set aside the time BEFORE you write your yearly goals. Make sure your goals are in alignment with your overall purpose and desires. You can still have other experiences and learn new things along the way but keep your eyes focused on what you want to accomplish and the future you want to build.
Need some help working on your goals? Check out our Master Class Courses page for our goal-setting courses starting on January 17th!
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