A Simple Goal-Setting Strategy For the Next 12 Months

This month, we’ve focused on setting goals for 2010. So far, we’ve covered how to create goal setting worksheets, the benefits of formulating your 5 Year Plan and why you should incorporate “fun goals” into your strategy.

Today, let’s take a look at the big picture for 2010.

One common axiom related to online marketing is that once you achieve a certain result, you can then study it to see what worked and why – then repeat those actions over and over to magnify that result.

For example, let’s say you are currently making $500 a month through your online efforts. By focusing on exactly how and where that revenue is generated – you can then build on that knowledge to multiply that result.

Or, you may want to direct your efforts to driving more traffic to your site. (More Traffic = More Opportunities to Build Your Customer Base). If you are currently getting 1,000 unique visitors per month – study how those visitors are finding your site (i.e., search engines, links from other sites, etc…) and build upon the strategies that got you to where you are now. (i.e., keyword-optimized content, back links from other sites, comments on relevant blog posts, etc…) Lather, rinse, repeat.

Basically, you want to build upon what is already working and discard the rest.

Because 2010  ends in a perfect “10″ – the year ahead lends itself beautifully to this concept. This, in turn, makes goal setting for the next 12 months both easy and fun.

If you are currently making $500 a month – there is no reason you can’t do 10x that amount.  If you are currently getting 1,000 unique visitors per month – 10,000 is attainable, too.  Focus on doing more of what you are already doing well and get rid of the distractions that take away from those efforts.

Just be sure to leave some room for trying and testing new things (i.e., improving your Social Media presence if you haven’t already mastered it)  in a controlled manner.

Take a look at the measurable criteria in your business – i.e., unique and repeat visitors, newsletter subscribers, and gross revenue – and think about how how adding a zero to the end of those numbers will impact your business and your life.  (Keep in mind – the factor of 10 is just a number – if you are more established, you may want to focus on doubling or tripling your current results instead).

Regardless of what factor you choose, the key is to focus on how reaching those goals in 2010 will bring you closer to your 5 Year vision and the life you want to lead.

As we wrap up 2009, we’ll conclude this series by looking at how to establish challenging – but attainable – quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals to accomplish what you want to achieve in 2010.

Til Next Time,