At International Executive Technology we love the new year because it is like you have a chance to wipe your slate clean and get a fresh start. After the New Year celebrations, you probably thought of some goals you would like to achieve for 2022 for your business, your health, family, and so forth. Of course, the tricky part is making those resolutions stick. Too often people find themselves sidetracked from making their goals. So, let’s look at some ways you can make your resolutions or goals stick.
How are goals conceived?
Anyone can simply consider something they want to achieve. However, an important factor to a goal is its purpose. What is purpose?
Purpose
“The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”
– Oxford English Dictionary
To know what your purpose is for your business, ask yourself, “What is the reason I started my business?” If you have never verbalized your purpose, now is a good time to do so and I highly recommend that while you read this blog, take notes for yourself.
How do you bridge the gap between conceiving your goal and achieving it?
With an established goal and a purpose, you want to have in mind what the ideal scene would be that you want to accomplish.
Ideal Scene
Ideal: Satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect; most suitable.
Scene: A place, with the people, objects, and events in it, regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression.
– Oxford English Dictionary
For example, if someone wants to be in better health, they need a concept of what they consider ideal health. This ideal scene would then be compared to the existing scene.
Existing Scene
Existing is used to describe something which is now present, available, or in operation, especially when you are contrasting it with something which is planned for the future.
- Collins English Dictionary
Again, let’s look at someone who wants to be in better health. In the present, they may be struggling with excess weight, high blood pressure, and lack of energy. That is their existing scene. They would need a plan and steps to take to move them from their existing scene to their ideal scene.
Gradients
Rome wasn’t built in a day (excuse the cliche). But I cannot overemphasize the importance of gradients. How many times have you seen someone set out to achieve a goal but give up along the way because they took on too much at one time and suffered a loss? Gradient steps move you from your existing scene to your ideal scene, step by step.
Let’s take the health example again. It is common knowledge that if you drastically changed your diet overnight and went out to run a marathon, you would likely suffer a loss. Here is an example of how to start on your program using gradients:
- Stop eating sugar.
- Drink more water.
- Take a daily walk.
One could then build on these steps, in gradients, to accomplish their goal.
How could this apply to a business?
Alright, we have looked at this for a personal goal. Now, let’s look at how it could apply to a business. The example I am going to use is how this might apply to a wealth management company.
Goal: Have a successful, thriving wealth management company with financial success for its clients and the company itself.
Purpose: To give people and businesses investment advisory service that combines other financial services to address the needs of the clients.
Ideal Scene: Individuals and companies receiving our investment advisory service achieving their financial goals and telling others about our great service.
Existing Scene: Many individuals and companies are not financially secure but are insolvent and rely on month-to-month income. Also, our company is lacking an effective advertising and marketing campaign to reach more people and companies to offer our services.
Gradient Steps:
- Reach out to existing customers and ask them to share their success with others.
- Get some videos from existing clients to post on our website.
- Give a monthly virtual lecture giving simple financial advice and offering our services.
The above is just to give you an idea of how it works. There is a lot of work to sort out your goals, purposes, ideal scene, existing scene, plans, and programs. With our clients, we start with a business analysis to get an in-depth view of their success or lack of success.
Business Analysis
Many people start up a business with high goals and ideals. Sadly, the truth is 21.5% of startups fail in the first year, 30% in the second year, 50% in the fifth year, and 70% in their 10th year. Our purpose is to help companies, both large and small, beat those odds. With the right tools and know-how, any company can expand. That’s our business!
With our 31 years of experience providing effective management consulting and training to leading businesses, we’ve found what works and what doesn’t. Based on this, IET developed our own business assessment and analysis. This analysis pinpoints a company’s strengths and weaknesses, precisely.
Take the business assessment and get a view inside your company for no cost or obligation.
Rohn Walker
President
International Executive Technology