| One reason business owners fail to put a plan together for their business is that they have to write it. It’s a lot like goal setting. People want to set goals but hesitate in committing them to writing. Is it the fear of actually seeing it on paper, or something else? Most likely, it’s the reality that putting your plan or your goals in writing means those plans or goals are being set in concrete. You have to live up to them and they are now unchangeable.
Hogwash!
A plan for your business is meant to be a management tool for making the right decisions and avoiding the risks associated with a corporate venture. It is part of the fluid process of operating your company and should change as market or operating conditions change. If part of your plan was to expand your facilities and you’ve done that, obviously your plan needs to take that into account and be updated.
The same holds true for goals. If you have achieved all of your goals, you need to establish new ones. They may be associated with one you’ve completed, or they may encompass a whole new area of your life that has now entered your lifestyle choices. Goals, in essence, are destination markers to give you an indication along your life’s path whether you’ve arrived or still have a way to go.
One goal setter I know wanted to play golf in every one of the United States. He had to go out of his way on a few business trips to make it happen, but he accomplished his goal. His next goal might be to golf on every continent or in 15 foreign countries. I’m not sure what his new goals are, but odds are he’s well on his way to achieving them, whatever they are. (more…)