Goal Setting

Goal Setting

It’s resolution time again, and all those promises you make about your personal life apply to your professional one as well. 

Lose weight:  What’s dragging you down and affecting your productivity?  Streamlining can free you up to pay attention to more important things.  Carrying around a PDA and a phone?  Get a smart phone.  Check your internal processes.  Are there unnecessary steps?  Are you handling things in your business that can be delegated?  Make some changes and lighten your load.

Exercise more:  Moving around is not only good for your body, it’s good for your business.  Get out into the community.  Meet people and tell them what you do.  Let folks know how you can help them.  It’ll make you stronger.

Read more:  Keep up with what’s happening in your community and industry by reading newspapers, magazines, books and blogs.  And occasionally choose something light to cleanse your mind’s palate during important down time.

Keep in touch with old friends:  Pull out your old rolodex and drop notes to customers and business associates you haven’t spoken with in awhile.  They’ll love to hear from you!  Customer contacts are like Christmas cards – the more you send out, the more you get back.

Eat healthier:  Remember — garbage in, garbage out!  Are you bringing in the best clients for your business, or accepting all opportunities as they come up?  Take time to analyze offers.  Will they help you grow, or take up time and energy best used elsewhere?

Stop smoking:  Are you still doing things that other businesses stopped doing years ago?  Change is not an easy process, so get help, information and moral support at educational seminars and business organizations.

Make new friends:  Increase your contacts through committees and networking events.  Not only can it result in more customers, but you can find great suppliers that might save you money and aggravation.

Spend more time with family:  If you follow these guidelines and run your operations more effectively, you’ll have more time to spend with the most important members of your life:  your family and friends.

Here’s hoping that in the coming year your family is healthy, your business is prosperous, and that you find much joy in your life.

Prepared by Mary Ann Miller, President and CEO of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, www.tempechamber.org