As an online business owner, it can be tough to juggle all the different tasks and responsibilities that come with running a business. One way to find clarity in the chaos is with simple goal setting.
Goal setting can help you prioritize your tasks, stay focused, and track your progress.
In this post, I’ll explain the benefits of goal setting for your online business, give you some simple tips, and show you how to do it in a way that won’t feel overwhelming.
Why Set Goals for Your Online Business?
Setting goals is essential for any business, and online businesses are no exception. Here are some of the benefits you’ll get from goal setting:
- Set a Clear Path: When you have a clear goal in mind, you know exactly where you’re heading. You can focus your time and energy on tasks that support your goal, which helps you make progress and avoid distractions.
- Motivation + Momentum: Goals provide a sense of purpose and motivation. When you have a specific target to work towards, it’s easier to stay motivated and maintain momentum.
- Track Your Progress: Goals help you track your progress and measure your success. This allows you to see how far you’ve come and identify areas where you need to improve.
- Make Better Decisions: When you have a goal in mind, it’s easier to make decisions. You can evaluate your options based on whether they help you achieve your goal or not.
- Learn + Grow: Setting goals will drive you to learn new skills and help you grow as a business owner. If you aren’t being challenged, you aren’t going to grow.
Now that you know why goal setting is important, let’s dive into setting simple goals.
The Simple Goal Setting Process
Step #1: Start with a Clear Vision
Before you can set actionable goals, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Take some time to think about where you want your online business to be in the next year, three years, or even five years.
Open up a new Google Doc or your favorite note-taking app and write down the first things that come to mind for your vision. It’s ok if it sounds silly, scary, or impossible. Dream big!
Step #2: Break Your Goal Down into Actionable Steps
Once you have a clear vision, break it down into actionable goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) as well.
Start with your yearly goal and break them into quarterly goals. Then break down your quarterly goals into monthly goals that are smaller and more manageable. Once you have monthly goals, you can start turning them into tasks.
Example:
- Yearly Goal: $60,000 selling current courses + 2 new courses
- Q1: $10,000
- January: Course Content
- February: Course Creation
- March: Course Marketing
- Q2: $15,000
- April: Launch New Course
- May: Course Content
- June: Course Creation
- Q1: $15,000
- July: Course Marketing
- August: Launch New Course
- September: Content for Black Friday Sale
- Q1: $20,000
- October: Marketing for Black Friday Sale
- November: Black Friday Sale
- December: Review + Plan for New Year
- Q1: $10,000
Step #3: Create Recurring Goal Tasks
I use Asana for my task management system, but tools like Trello, ClickUp, and Notion are also great options. Use them to set recurring tasks so you don’t forget about your goals.
- Set a recurring yearly task in November or December for planning your new year goals, and breaking them down into quarterly goals.
- Set a recurring quarterly task the month before a new quarter to plan the next one. In December plan Q1. In March plan Q2. In June plan Q3. And in September plan Q4. You could also do it 2 months in advance if that works better for you.
- Set a recurring task for each month to plan out your weeks. This doesn’t have to include every detail of every task, but give yourself a broad overview of what you need to do each week.
- Set a recurring task for the first day of each week to go through the details, create tasks, and make sure you know exactly what you need to get done.
Once you’ve set your recurring goal tasks, they’ll be set for life! No more forgetting about your goals or losing sight of what’s important.
Step #4: Review and Adjust Your Goals Regularly
As your online business evolves, and as your life changes, you may need to review and adjust your goals. Before you make a plan for future months, make sure you take a peek back at the previous months and assess your progress.
It’s perfectly okay, and expected, to make changes to your goals. This isn’t a sign of failure. It’s just reality. Try to be flexible as you navigate the ever-changing world of online business.
Tips for Setting Simple Goals
Before we wrap this up, I want to share a few bonus tips with you that will help you stick with your goals and see them through to the end.
- Write them down: Documenting your goals makes them more tangible and increases your commitment to achieving them. Write them in a place where you can see them regularly, such as a journal or your favorite project management tool that you use daily..
- Be accountable: Find ways to hold yourself accountable. Share your goals with others or seek support from a mentor or accountability partner.
- Set challenging goals: While being realistic is important, it’s also essential to set goals that push you out of your comfort zone and encourage personal growth. Set goals that inspire and motivate you to work harder.
- Celebrate wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements along the way. This helps maintain your motivation and gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Simple goal setting is a powerful way to bring focus and clarity to your online business. By having a clear vision, breaking it down into actionable goals, creating recurring tasks, and adjusting your course as needed, you can create a roadmap to achieving your dreams.
Take Action
Take the first step today and start setting simple goals for your online business. Your future self will thank you.
When you join The Template Nook, you’ll get instant access to all of my goal-setting resources including:
- Goal Planner Template for Trello
- Productivity Planner Template for Asana
- Productivity Planner Template for Trello
- Yearly Planner Template for Google Doc
- Mini-course on Planning + Goals
