In business we are constantly being told that setting goals will lead to success, but is this sentiment entirely accurate? To help you achieve more in both life and business, entrepreneur and CEO Matt Wassall has delved into the world of effective goal setting and shared his thoughts.
2015 was a huge year for Matt Wassall and his sales and marketing firm MJ Experia Marketing. Since starting the firm back in 2013 in Birmingham, Wassall has successfully established offices in Birmingham, Liverpool, Reading, and most recently Nottingham. With further expansion currently underway, CEO Matt Wassall has shared where he would like to take the firm next ‘I am ecstatic with the way we performed in 2015, we have accomplished so many goals and succeeded in taking our direct marketing solutions nationwide. In 2016 I would like to capitalize on this, with the ultimate goal being to break into the international market’
So how did Wassall achieve these major milestones in such a short period of time after first establishing his business? ‘You need to have a vision; not only of where you want to go, but of the steps you need to take along the way. Too many people invest solely on the end result and forget that positive change doesn’t just happen overnight, you get what you put in and the only way to achieve is to take small, positive steps everyday’ states Matt Wassall.
Poorly set goals are unlikely to be accomplished as they fail to offer clear direction, it’s not enough to say ‘I want something’, you need to know why you want it and how it is going to better your life and the lives of those around you. Only when you can answer these questions will you have enough drive and motivation to turn your goal from an idea into something physical and tangible.
Set SMART goals
Follow these 5 steps to take the stress out of goal setting.
- Specific – specific goals provide direction which is key when forming new habits; don’t give your brain any excuse to become distracted.
- Measurable – Establish concrete criteria for measuring your progress and review your accomplishments regularly. Even the smallest accomplishment can help to spur you on.
- Attainable – If you want something badly enough you will do everything in your power to reach it. You will soon find that you develop the attitudes, abilities and skills needed to achieve a positive end result.
- Realistic – a goal is only achievable if you are willing and able to put the work in, so it’s important to be realistic about what you will be able to achieve in a given time frame.
- Time – putting a time frame on your goals is vital as it adds a sense of urgency to your endeavours, ensuring you commit and don’t fall victim to procrastination.
By Zenya Smith
