When I talk to most new entrepreneurs, the easiest place for discouragement to enter is that of missed goals.
Why? The achievable question just hasn’t been answered. Sure, “Make $2000 pursuing my dream in the next 30 days” is a great goal by most accounts.
- It is pretty specific.
- Certainly measurable.
- Realistic, as far as that is concerned.
- It meets the time-bound criterion with the 30-day deadline.
- Yet the achievable question still remains.
How can we ferret achievable from unachievable?
- Has this person made their first dollar “pursuing their dreams”?
- Is this the right time of year for going after this kind of money?
- Does this person have the right network, advertising skills, prospecting skills or other lead generation skills to make a go of this?
In the early years of my coaching business I knew I had problems prospecting for business, but the best advice I had ever been given was “Go hang out at the chamber of commerce.” Sage advice, but not exactly a game changer.
It wasn’t till 4 years later, after I had won a Sales Conference for my sales results as a financial advisor, that I could finally say that I had a good handle on prospecting. The problem is that I had to close down my coaching business to finally learn how to prospect.
Aiming too Low vs. Aiming too High
When I talk to most established entrepreneurs about achieving goals I find that most do a good job with setting goals that are achievable.
And…safe.