Happy January, Priscilla,

As a presenter, I've been trained to never apologize when I skip part of my presentation, stumble over a word, or change things up mid-stream... after all, the audience only knows the presentation they see, not the one you wrote. So, I am resisting saying I'm sorry for not sending an email last week... but if you've been watching the news, I'm sure you understand my hiatus.

Not to beat a dead horse named 2020, but dang - it stung to start a year with the highest hopes of achievement and goal grabbing to just have the rug pulled out from under us in March. You may have had a great year of personal and professional achievement - if you did, I am literally standing up from my chair and starting a slow clap of applause. I salute you. No, for real - you ROCK.

No matter how 2020 shaped up, I am sure you can relate to having a period of your life where no matter what you did, you got thrown curveballs. Illness, stress, family issues, unexpected expenses ... you get the drift. As Ol' Blue Eyes croons... That's Life...

As a result, perhaps you are feeling a little gun-shy about setting goals this year. Or, maybe you did set goals, but you are having a hard time envisioning things working out "as planned" so you can achieve them. Yup.. funny how something like a pandemic can leave a dark cloud over the sunniest of intentions.

So how do you set goals, even when the future is unpredictable? Just like you diversify a stock portfolio - diversify your goals. Often, we set more "Milestone goals" because that is how we are taught to set goals.  Milestone goals are also known as "SMART Goals." --(specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-based).  A milestone goal may include how many clients I will work with, or how many subscribers I will have, or how much money I will make. Sometimes, when life throws us curveballs, we miss milestone goals - we fall short of sales goals, growth goals, or financial goals. The classic "SMART goal" formula works ... when all goes according to plan. But what can we do to move the needle forward when Murphy starts making all the laws?

Along with MILESTONE goals (they are important!), diversify your goals by mixing in MISSION-CENTRIC goals.

What are mission-centric goals?

Beyond the obvious, which is mission-centric goals support your mission, they are the non-negotiable action steps we take daily to live, breathe, and bring our mission to fruition. The mission at Blazing Trails Coaching, for instance, is to provide down-to-earth, practical strategies for owners of skilled labor trades and service businesses so they can gain traction to grow, profit, and succeed.

Mission-centric goals are the steps you take each day to live out your mission. For instance "I will send out a weekly email to my subscribers to give them practical strategies they can use in their businesses" is a mission-centric goal. Another mission-centric goal may be to do a podcast, provide a coaching program, group coaching, or a webinar. While milestone goals are important to measure your progress, mission-centric goals are essential in measuring your effectiveness.

BONUS - studies have proven that organizations that set mission-centric goals in conjunction with milestone goals have employees that are 52% more engaged and satisfied with their jobs.

What mission-centric goals do you have set for your business in 2021? How can I support you in achieving them? 

 
Until next time, have a great week!
Priscilla

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