Start With The End In Mind

If you read my last couple of posts, you know that you have far less time than you originally thought and that in fact more than half of your productive year has already gone.

It’s vital therefore, that every productive hour is focused on driving your business forward to wherever it is you want it to be.

So, the next question is… where do you want your business to be?

What is the next destination for your business, the next big plateau to set camp on as you climb to the summit? Picture that plateau, that next level of your business, what does this Strategic Destination look like? If you don’t create this destination, this place where your business needs to be, how will you get there?

Now define this destination and specify exactly how you intend to reach it. What do you intend to do? Where will this get you? With what products and services? Who will be your ideal customers and over what period will you do this?

Don’t be constrained by a 12-month window. For example, my plan at the start of 2014 focused on reaching a destination that is set for the end of 2016. That made more sense because I wanted my business to be at a whole new level and there was no way that was going to happen in 1 or even 2 years. This step function in my business – this plateau – was going to be a 3-year journey and that is the destination I set off towards at the start of 2014.

What’s key here is that you’re setting targets based on where you need to get your business to and not what you need to achieve in a 12-month window. Of course you still need to break down what might be a 3 or more year journey into annual goals and break those down further to the granularity you need so that you can monitor progress. But you’re not starting, as most companies do, with the constraint of the 12-month window and on deciding on what you will be able to achieve within that window.

If you haven’t already done so don’t despair, it is not too late, but you do need to get on with it. Define this destination now – it’s the next big step in the evolution and growth of your business.

You can read my article on how to identify and define your strategic destination in my library of free resource.

As I said, it isn’t too late to set this destination and get your business on course. Better that than find out half way through the year that your business is nowhere near where you need it to be.