Beyond SMART: Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs
Beyond SMART: Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs
If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right?
After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years. The only thing that matters is that your goals are specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and timely.
While that looks great on paper—and clearly it’s easy to remember—it doesn’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things.
Think about it. Do you want to be stuck with “attainable” and “realistic” goals when what you really dream about is a 3-day workweek, frequent international travel, and enough money to fund a mission trip (or all three). Seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals aren’t going to get you there.
In fact, they might even do worse than simply “not get you there.” They may actively hold you back.
Consider what happens when you set an “attainable” goal of earning 10% more than you did last year. You might work 10% more. You might squeeze 10% more of your time to spend it building your business. You might even reach out to 10% more potential clients.
And you’ll likely earn about 10% more.
“Not bad!” you say. After all, that was your goal in the first place.
But did that 10% goal inspire you to work harder? Or did it create a subconscious ceiling on your earning potential that you’re unable to break through the 10%?
Rather than focusing on goals that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in creating lofty goals that feel out of reach—maybe even UN-attainable.
They don’t strive to earn 10% more than last year. They want 50% or even 100% more. They stretch themselves. They find new—and better—ways to do things, so they don’t have to work twice as hard, but they remain open to the possibility of doing so—at least in the short term—when it’s necessary.
Of course, you cannot simply declare crazy goals and expect the universe to hand them to you. And that’s exactly why putting aside those smart goals is so…smart.
When you shun the attainable in favor of the “holy cow, how will I ever do THAT?” goal, you push yourself beyond those self-imposed limits and reach for the stars.
Sure, you might not double your income, but you’re almost guaranteed to do better than a mere 10% increase. So push your boundaries. Set big, audacious goals. Even if you fail, you’ll be much further ahead than those smart goals would leave you.
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er passion for helping women
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To walk in their purpose and follow their passion has inspired her to start her own company, Jessica Rosario Consulting. Jessica’s focus is to help women who are exploring their entrepreneurial interests, looking for a career change and wanting to excel in their existing careers. She helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses, create action steps to accomplish their goals and how they can add value to everything they do. Jessica also helps new start-up businesses get off the ground and offers invaluable resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners, particularly in the non-profit sector.
Jessica is passionate about public service and has taken on leadership roles on several business levels to ensure she brings awareness and resources to her community. She has served on the boards of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, the Elmont Cardinals Sports Club, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre and the Rotary Club of Franklin Square & Elmont.
In addition to her many professional accomplishments, she has also supported the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VITA) funded by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as well as the Junior Achievement Financial Literacy program. She is seen as a community leader and as a mentor for her colleagues..