Goal Setting Strategies for Entrepreneurs

How to Set Goals as an Entrepreneur

The most effective way to achieve important entrepreneurial goals is to break big goals into smaller ones.

One of the best ways to do this is over time. Using long-term, medium-term, and short-term goals will help in your successful goal setting strategy and help you reach more of your goals.

Using supporting goals will ensure that you are consistently moving toward achieving the goals you set.

Supporting Goals

The best way to get where you want to go into business is to use a mix of short, medium, and long-term goals. Each one has different benefits and can launch you forward toward your end result. What ties it all together are supporting goals. These are goals that are formulated as milestones for your medium and long-term goals.

Use this step-by-step goal setting strategy to bring your business dreams to life:

1. Set long-term goals first

Decide what do you want to achieve in the next few years? These are big picture, broad goals that will take time to complete, like buying a home, earning six-figures or writing a book. Your long-term goals are the foundation for your goal setting as they define where you want to be in the future.

Your long-term goals should be obtainable within a specific number of years. Try to give your goals a time frame, such as buying a home in five years or making six-figures in two years.

2. Set your medium-term goals next

Let your medium-term act as big milestones to help you achieve your bigger goals. For example, if your goal is to write a book to help brand yourself as an expert, let a medium-term goal be to outline your chapters since this is a reasonable goal between where you are now and the ultimate goal you have of writing a book.

Your medium-term goals should also have set time frame. These will keep you working toward your long-term goals, ensuring that you’re always moving forward in the right direction.

3. Finally, focus on your short-term goals

Short-term goals and ones you can achieve more quickly. You can set short-term goals for each quarter, month or week. These goals break your medium-term goals into more bite-sized chunks. These goals will guide you toward your ultimate goal.

Short-term goals can be anything you want, but they should be supporting goals. This means that they should be small and definite steps toward your bigger goals and not end goals themselves.

They are “pieces of the pie, not the pie itself.”

Be sure to follow the SMART goal setting strategy (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) for your short-term goals so you know you can achieve them.

Long-term goals tend to be the most meaningful and essential, which is why they will take more time to achieve. But don’t focus all your attention on the big picture goals when it is medium and short-term supporting goals that allow you to get there. By using all three types of goals, you will get to where you want to be.

How to Track Your Entrepreneur Goals

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to set goals and track your progress. This will help you stay on track and focused on your goals.

There are a few different ways you can track your goals. One way is to use a spreadsheet or tracking software. This will allow you to keep track of your goals, deadlines, and progress.

You can also use a journal or notebook to write down your goals and track your progress. This is a great way to stay organized and motivated.

Goal Journals and Goal Planners

Sometimes you need a little more than a notebook or a spreadsheet. Here are some great business planners that are great for reach business goals.

PA Planner

I have tried many goal-setting planners, and the PA Planner is the one that I found that works the best for me. I have used it since 2018. It’s an annual dated planner with a two-page spread to plan your week, and each week comes with a two-page spread to review and plan. There are monthly planning pages, including your financial planning, project management, habits, and a social media content calendar. It’s a dated annual planner.

PUSH Journal

Chalene Johnson has her popular Push Journal that has customized pages and focuses on one goal every 90 days allowing you to achieve your one-year goals in as little as 90 days. Each journal is an undated 30-day journal sold in 3-pack bundles.

The Freedom Journal

John Lee Dumas’ Freedom Journal also works on one goal at a time but for 100 days. The unique part of his process is the 10 days sprints to get you crushing your micro goals. It is an undated 100-day planner.

Daily Greatness Business Planner

The Daily Greatness Business Planner has weekly check-ins, challenges, inspirations, and week-to-a-view pages. And the planner has 90-day business challenges, finance manager and budget worksheets, business strategy and more. It’s an updated annual planner.

Passion Planner

Another well-thought-out planner based on reaching your goals. The Passion Planner follows a two-page per week spread with room to track both personal and business goals. It’s a dated annual planner.

Use a Vision Board to Reach Your Goals

Another way to track your goals is to create a vision board. This is a board where you display pictures or words that represent your goals. This is a great way to stay visual and inspired.

Whatever method you choose, make sure you are consistent with tracking your progress. This will help you ensure that you are making progress and achieving your goals.

Reach Your Entrepreneur Goals!

The more time you take to plan out your goals, the better the results are likely to be.

Planning and forethought can go a long way in helping you achieve what you really desire in your life.

You’ll be on your way to creating the business and life you love.