I know, I know…
You’re probably Milly rocking in your head to Kanye’s Gold Digger song. But this week I’m talking about “goal digging.” See what I did there?
It’s no coincidence that I’m writing about goals this week. I was a speaker on an expert entrepreneurial panel two weeks ago where I focused my talk on my successes and failures in business. In short, being a goal getter.
One thing I know is business goal-making and goal-crushing. I wrote a book on it (Ch5 of Mommy Retailing). But setting blogging goals is new to me. Or is it? A Blog is a business, whether you call it a personal blog or not. Therefore blogging goals become business goals. I’m going to share a secret with you guys about blogging goals: It’s the same two-part business formula that I apply to my retail business: knowing and doing.
It’s simple, but it’s also involved:
Knowing starts with identifying: Seven years ago I started experimenting with different business ideas. Some were successful; others were not.
Doing starts with taking steps, any step, a step, many steps. Four years ago, I made the transition from employee to employer. I could not have done this without setting strict goals.
Here are four quotes that I live by in my goal-getting quests. These quotes have taken me through to my highest successes to date, and now you can use them too to be a goal-digger in your own life!
1. Find out who you are and do it on purpose. Let’s be honest. Being a mom and entrepreneur are two of the hardest jobs ever. And at some point, both roles will do a number on your self-confidence and bring you face-to-face with every insecurity you have and reveal one’s you didn’t even know you had. To be successful, you have to believe in yourself and your ideas.
2. If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. Get up and do something. Anything. Stop waiting for a hook-up or a handout or the perfect day, the perfect year, the perfect time. There’s no such thing. Align yourself with like-minded people that can help you get to where you’re trying to go. How you work determines the quality and quantity of your rewards. Work as hard as you can, and then work harder.
3. Failing is not always failure. Perseverance and emotional strength are needed to be a successful entrepreneur. It is the one defining thing that keeps you moving forward and closer to your goals regardless of circumstances. Everything will not always work in your favor. Accept it and get over it. Many people don’t take the first step because they fear failure. But failure is only guaranteed when you don’t take the first step.
4. If your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. We all have that place where we feel safe and comfortable. It’s small and limited and usually comes in the form of a box, also known as our comfort zone. The problem is if you stay within that comfort zone you will not grow. Dreams that require you to take risks and step into the unknown and overcome fears are the ones that make you grow.
I’ll share another secret: At the beginning of this year, I set a goal for myself to create content for my brand and business. Meaningful, valuable content that I could share with everyone, not just my clients and customers. This is what led to the relaunch of aSpouseful. In my book, I mention, a goal set is a goal met. (you know what I’m saying?).
So friends, tell me, what goals have you set for yourselves this year, this quarter, or this month and what steps have you taken to accomplish them?
