By Adam Moss and Jeffrey Shavitz
Charge Card Systems Inc.
How many times have you written out your goals either from a personal or business perspective? More importantly, once you've written them down, who has held you accountable for reaching those goals? What was the consequence if you didn't lose 25 lbs in 6 months or if you only wrote 10 deals a month instead of your goal of 20? Is,"Oh well," the first thought that comes to mind?
The reason most of us don't hold ourselves accountable is rooted in the manner in which we create goals. Generally, the process starts at the beginning of the year when we make New Year's resolutions. We think about the past and what we want the future to be, both personally and professionally.
So we sit down with a blank piece of paper, a pen and great intentions. Then we start to write. And when we finish our list, whether it contains just a few items or more and whether the goals are modest or grandiose, we tend to put those goals in a drawer and forget about them.
The question is, what would happen if we attached meaning and even emotion to these goals? And what if we looked at those goals every day, twice a day? Most likely our goals would be more attainable, and we would be more successful. Too often our goal setting is rooted in thought and our goals tend to be vague and often unattainable.
Also, to be successful in reaching our goals, we need to make them attainable. We want to be able to celebrate our successes once we have reached our goals. One success leads to another and so on. With that being said, a good plan must be in place if your goal is to become reality in this world.
It all begins with the process. Here are some tips for setting business goals as we move into 2012:
You now have a game plan, and you have set out a plan that is rooted in emotion rather than in thought.
There is one final step in the process and that is the visual part. After you have created your goals, create some type of visual board with your goals listed on them. You can have just words listed or even attach pictures. Place that visual where you can see it - and see it often. Maybe you can make one for your office and one for your home. The key is to see your goals and to keep the emotion alive.
We work in a very vibrant and ever-changing industry. Setting goals and knowing your end result will allow you to better navigate the twists and turns. And being able to write an average of 30 deals a month rather than 10 will surely put a smile on your face, along with more money in your pocket due to an increased residual.
Here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Jeffrey Shavitz is a founder and Adam Moss is the Vice President, National Sales Manager of Charge Card Systems Inc., a nationwide leader in merchant services offering a full suite of products and 12-hour funding. Shavitz is an active member of The Green Sheet Advisory Board and the First Data ISO Advisory Board; both Shavitz and Moss are frequent contributing writers to The Green Sheet. They can be reached at jshavitz@chargecardsystems.com or amoss@chargecardsystems.com or 888-505-CARD. For additional information on CCS, please visit www.chargecardsystems.com.
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