Congratulations, you’ve set business goals that are simultaneously challenging, achievable, and motivating!
Now, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
Too often, we set goals, but our follow-through stops there. That’s one reason why up to 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February!
Luckily, there are research-backed strategies proven to help you reach your goals.
Make a concrete plan
Making an implementation plan is what distinguishes a goal from a hope. According to James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits:
Research has shown that you are 2x to 3x more likely to stick to your goals if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you will perform the behavior. For example, in one study scientists asked people to fill out this sentence: “During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].”
This approach holds across all kinds of goals, including your consulting business goals. It’s also why adding process goals—instead of only focusing on end results—is so important.
If your business goal is to land five new clients this year, start by breaking down the “ingredients” that will lead to success. You will need to find potential clients, do client intakes, submit proposals, and, once contracts are signed, deliver on scopes of work.
Each of those steps should then include a process goal and action plan. If you’re not sure what that action plan would look like, we work with many consultants in our 1:1 Consulting Boot Camp to develop these tools and personalized strategies.
Leverage accountability
Once you have a plan, accountability is key. Oft-cited research from the American Society of Training and Development underscores the value of accountability and support. People who share their goal with another person—creating an accountability partner—have a 65% chance of success.
Add accountability check-ins, and your likelihood of goal achievement rises to an astonishing 95%!
This is an approach we leverage to help nonprofit consultants in our Boot Camp. Working with the Funding for Good team, you get a personal strategy partner, market expert, and dedicated accountability ally.
Invest in support
Public companies that invest in their people actually perform better on metrics including shareholder return. For most nonprofit consultants, WE are both our people and our shareholders!
So, investing in ourselves can dramatically improve our outcomes. For example, one research study found that combining training and coaching improved performance by 88%!
Putting financial resources into support to achieve your goals also leverages the power of financial incentives. Research results consistently show that financial incentives (or even the risk of losing financial incentives) increase our persistence and positively change our behavior, focus, and performance.
I often hear from consultants in Boot Camp that this was the most significant financial investment they had ever made in themselves. And that investment motivated them to make sure they got the most out of our work together. It’s also why our 60-day one-on-one program delivers results long after a session has finished.
Are you ready to hit your goals? Then join the next session of our 60-Day 1:1 Consulting Boot Camp!
