I love creating goals. Unfortunately, it can be debilitating to try and achieve those goals. I know there are other people out there who feel the same way. It’s easy to want that end goal. Getting there is the hard part.
Managing yourself with discipline is my biggest struggle. Being a solopreneur, you have to run everything; finances, marketing, sales, and the list go on. Practice rebelling against yourself!
“Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon has ten rules to follow to enhance your creativity. Rule #9 is to make yourself boring. By being predictable in your day-to-day life, you can be wild in your craft. Since being “boring,” I have better mental health and financial stability. I have also published some of the best content I ever made.
In three simple(ish) steps, I’ll show you my way to help you stay focused. Although my examples are in marketing, I’m confident that this can work for all aspects. Everybody works differently, but it’s worth a shot for long-term success.
Learning how to reverse engineer.
I noticed this with a lot of entrepreneurs with an engineering background. As a former educator, I was able to reverse engineer my goals. If I had teaching goals to reach, I had to implement steps to achieve that goal.
Think about what is obtainable with the goals you have set. Remember: people overestimate what they can do in a day but underestimate what they can achieve in a year.
I was obsessed with hitting a specific revenue each month. That mindset made it hard to be motivated whenever I didn’t make money that day. Motivation is easier once you start focusing on the daily wins.
If you have a “yes mindset” as I do, it can also be distracting. With clearer wins, it’s easier to feel motivated.
Knowing your strongest skills.
Do you know how to reverse engineer a car? If you’re reading this, it’s not likely. When you’re working backward from your goal, it’s easier if you know the science. My background is in social media and event marketing. I won’t spend as much time or money on paid ads or SEO.
If I wanted to increase my email list to 1,000 subscribers by the end of the quarter, I would use techniques. Right now, I’m producing content that will entice readers to subscribe. I am also hosting webinars to collect emails. I’m sharing all this through social media.
Eventually, I will be trying paid ads and SEO. I will start experimenting once I get settled with social media and events. Don’t be afraid to try new methods. Just be smart and learn each time you try.
Turn it into a good habit.
This year, I set a goal to publish at least one article a week. On social media, I will be posting on at least two platforms each day.
How was I going to achieve that?
Wake up early every morning and create for at least an hour every day. Track everything. Learn and synthesize it.
Goal-setting can be easy for some people. But ‘how’ is another challenge.
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