New year, new goals

Let’s talk New Year’s Resolutions. Most people start off the new year with some kind of goal, promise, or resolution, whether it’s to grow your business, lose weight or save money. Unfortunately studies show 92% of people who set New Year’s Resolutions never actually achieve them. Our culture is so focused on setting these resolutions but only 8% of people are actually achieving them. Something isn’t adding up.

Why set goals?

It’s much easier to achieve success when you pre-set the plans and steps you can take to achieve your goals. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. Get this:

• 83% of people do not have goals
• 14% of people have a “plan in mind for their goals”
• Only 3% of people have their goals written down

This study found that the 14% of people who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals, and the 3% of people with written goals are three times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals. So moral of the story? Write your goals down or you likely won’t achieve them.

Writing your goals

Write your goals down like they have already happened. Instead of “I am going to own my own home”, write “I own my own home”. Make sure you are making S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Set deadlines for yourself, know the steps you have to take to get to your end goal, and after you write them down, put them somewhere where you can see them. If you see them daily, you won’t forget their importance. Setting goals becomes even more important when you are running your own startup. As teams grow, it's easy for the goals of the entrepreneur to get lost in the fray of daily tasks, marketing, hiring, and many other business necessities that can derail team objectives. When you have goals written out for yourself and your team, everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal daily. The 8% of people who achieve their goals are sticking to these 3 rules:

1. They begin with the end in mind -  it’s easier to keep going when you can see where you are headed
2. They build a support system around them - these people aren’t afraid to ask for help and seek out mentorship
3. They don't multitask - nail it down to the 2 or 3 big things that are truly important to you

Now, it’s time for you to be a goal achiever. Need help making the first steps? Check out some of these awesome podcasts, reach out to a new mentor or advisor, sign up to attend one of the many events & workshops at the Village.And don't forget to get tickets for our upcoming Women + Tech Meetup: You Should be a Goal Setter with Karen Houghton.