What does success look like for you over the next 12 months? You hear so much about setting goals. How specific have you made your goals to ensure success in the next year?

Now, this episode isn’t all about setting goals. We are not going to talk about SMART goals and the five goal-setting steps. You know your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. You know you need to write them down and create an action plan. You can find that information anywhere.

What I want to talk about today is putting your goals in the right place to ensure success. What are the specific actions you can take that will get you to your goals?

If you lean the ladder against the wrong wall, it doesn’t matter how high you climb. Your goals and action plans need to be focused on the right areas. Only then can we create an effective action plan for success.

I was in a coaching session with my business coach the other day. We were talking about where I want the business to go. We were discussing my goals for the next year.

The goals I had set were centered around dollar goals for my business. I know where I want the business to be in order to be happy with the results.

My coached asked how I planned to get there. What it would take to hit the goals in terms of coaching clients and products sold?

He wanted me to break it down in terms of the number of new clients I would need to find, how many products I would need to sell and what I would need to create.

That’s when it hit me. I didn’t have those numbers.

YOUR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

I hadn’t translated my financial goals into number of business transactions that would need to happen to find success. I couldn’t possibly begin taking steps toward my financial goals without defining those steps.

We worked together to put the money on paper in terms of business action steps and clients. We defined the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)that help me land a new client. We determined how many free strategy sessions I need to conduct to find the ideal clients that get the most benefit from my coaching.

Ideal clients are key. Not every podcaster is the right fit for my coaching. There are specific podcasters that can truly use my coaching to really improve their podcast and business.

James and Amy Hebdon at Paid Search Magicare a perfect example of podcasters that benefit greatly from my coaching. They have a fantastic business helping their clients with paid search. They use their podcast to attract new clients and build their authority in the space.

On the other side, there are many podcasters I help with my free strategy session that are not a great fit for my coaching program. Those podcasters get a great deal of benefit from the session by defining their strategy and improving their show. Their show simply isn’t at the level where it can support coaching.

It is just fine that these podcasters aren’t ready. They will eventually be in a place where they are ready. We just work together to figure out where they are today.

YOUR COACH

That is the benefit of having a coach or accountability partner. An outside perspective can ask the questions you don’t see, because you are too close to the situation.

If you would like to see where you are, check out my free strategy session online at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. You can get the details and schedule your free session right there.

You need to take time this week to not only set your goals, but truly define the areas that will really move the needle for you. Define the Key Performance Indicators that will move your podcast and business toward your goals for success.

THE NEXT STEPS

Looking back at my process, the most productive week I ever had occurred when I was specific about the very next steps I needed to take. Then I put them in writing.

That week, I accomplished more than I had in the previous 2 months. It was all because I determined what actions would make a difference, I wrote them down, and then did the very next thing on the list. Focus.

I also shared those goals with my mastermind, which helped tremendously.

Jeff is one of my clients right now. He wants to get his show on the radio. I love working with Jeff. He is incredibly creative and a great sales guy. If I had him take the DISC personality profile, he would probably be a high “i” … influence, persuading others, openness and relationships.

In working with Jeff, he sometimes suffers from shiny-object syndrome. He loves the “next” exciting thing. He is writing a book. He is creating his show. He is trying to get on the radio. He wants to create a course. He wants more public speaking opportunities.

I love multiple streams of income. We just need to build one at a time. Jeff needs to get one up and running, and THEN get to the next one.

My whole goal working with him is getting Jeff to focus on the next task that needs to be done. We then check up on progress to ensure he hits the deadlines we set. Jeff benefits most when I hold him accountable. We are close to landing a few big clients for him and getting his radio show up and running.

Do you know what your next steps need to be? Start by working backwards from your vision of success.

FIVE YEAR GOALS

Where do you want to be in five years? Define your long-term goals first.

Use the SMART method to get clear. You might consider creating realistic goals along with some stretch goals.

Five years is a long time. You can get a lot done in 1,825 days.

How much do you want to be earning? What do you want your work life to look like? What does your family look like? How does your health look? Where are you in your spiritual walk?

GOALS NEXT YEAR

Next, where do you want to be next year? Be clear on the goals and lay in some stretch goals.

If you want to make $24k over the next year, $2,000 a month could be realistic. Maybe $8,000 a month is possible if a few key things happen. That would take you to $100k next year. That would be a nice stretch goal.

Just like the saying says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” It has been credited to Norman Vincent Peale. I’ve heard the great Les Brown say it. Regardless of where it originated, there is truth in it.

Shoot for your stretch goal. You may just outperform your realistic number.

QUARTERLY GOALS

Now, let’s break the yearly goal into four parts. What do you need to accomplish in each quarter of the next 12 months to get you to your yearly goal?

You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Break your yearly goal into quarterly milestones. Be clear and specific. “Get more clients” is not a goal. How many do you need? If you need 24 clients over the year, can you land 6 per quarter?

As you break your goal into smaller steps, you will see if your goals are feasible with the tools and time you currently have. You may find that you need to add help or give up something in order to make the goals happen.

WEEKLY GOALS

Next, we take the quarterly goals and break those into week-by-week goals. You have 13 weeks in the quarter. What needs to happen every week to make the goals a reality?

THIS WEEK

Now that you have your weekly goals, what are the things that need to be completed this week? Create the task list.

TODAY

Take a look at this week. What are your objectives today?

REVIEW

Review each step of the way. Are your goals realistic? Can you really put in that much time everyday, every week and every month to make your goals happen?

Build in a little time to catch up. You do not want falling behind to be an excuse to give up. Give yourself a “catch up” day every now and then.

CONSISTENT ACTION

Finally, stick with it. The only way you will achieve success and realize your goals is with consistent action. Take steps forward every day. Little by little, you will eat that elephant.

To help you take those steps, find an accountability partner. Maybe join a mastermind. Hire a coach. Enlist a partner. Whatever it takes to keep you moving forward toward your goals.

Setting goals and writing them down won’t be enough. Focused action on the next step is the key to making your goals a reality. Stay accountable to action.

I’d love to help you find success. Check out my Free Strategy Session where you and I will sit down for 30 minutes to lay out an action plan for your show and business. Get the details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.