The New Year really does give us the opportunity to look back at where we've been, and look ahead to where we want to go. It's the BEST time to set your goals and intentions for 2024, especially for your business! But there's always a catch - too often we set goals on Jan. 1, and then forget ALLLL about them by Feb. 1. We've all been there, right?! So this year, let's take a NEW approach. Let's set those goals AND make a plan to meet them. Let's make it EASIER to get to those BIG benchmarks. Here are my 4 best tips for setting goals and reaching them!

1. Break Your Goal Down

Business studies show that you are THREE times more likely to achieve a goal if you make a plan. WHOA! So for any big goal that you want to reach, it's best if you break them down into steps and smaller goals. The easiest way to do that is to work backwards from the goal. Say, for example, you want to hit a certain financial benchmark in 2024. So to do that, what would be the LAST step just before you reach the big goal? It could be that you hit 80% of the goal by September, 50% by June, etc. You may decide that 2 BIG projects would get you there. So you back that up, too. What marketing do you need to do NOW to get those big projects. Breaking it down also makes everything look a lot more achievable. And it gives you micro-goals that you can achieve, which will give you BIG sense of accomplishment as you check them off your list!

2. Take the First Step

We've all heard that saying - you just HAVE to take that first step. And you would NOT believe how often that holds someone back. But if you have made your plan (see Tip 1!), it should be a LOT simpler for you to jump right in. Remind yourself of why you set the goal in the first place - you WANT to achieve it this year. And the ONLY way you're going to do that is to move forward. Listen to Nike and just DO IT.

3. Measure Progress

Go ahead and set progress check-ins on your calendar. Base them on the plan you made (again, see Tip 1!). It is SOOO important to measure your progress and see where you are on each of your goals. In fact, it's why so many companies today use the idea of "gamification" in their company plans today. That means setting your goals almost as you would in a game, with levels that you have to reach. Fortune 500 companies have found this hugely successful because it makes things fun, AND because reaching and unlocking a new level boosts your self-esteem and drives you forward.

4. Try Habit Stacking

Here's another unique idea that really works! Habit stacking is helping your brain move ahead and get things done. Here's how it works - you identify a strong habit that you already do, and you attach a goal, or a step of a goal, to that habit. So maybe it's that you check your email every single day at 9am. The next time you do that, decide that you're going to ALSO look at your cash flow or that you're going to send 5 emails to potential or former clients. Make a NEW habit with your micro-goals or the steps you need to achieve to get to a big goal.

To help you with ALLL of this, download my FREE Guide to Annual Goal Setting! It will definitely get you on the right path!

Happy New Year!