Setting goals for the new year

[KenW3]

Setting goals, from daily tasks to a focus on weekly and monthly projects, is one of the most basic skills that can lead you to success. This final week of the year is the perfect time to assess progress you have made over the past year, and to set new goals for the new year. Did you accomplish everything you set out to do in 2011?

Personally, I spent the day (and will do the same tomorrow) working on taxes. It is always helpful to make a determination if it's worthwhile spending some money on capital goods to reduce tax liabilities, so that's a task (and a project goal) scheduled for the last couple of weeks. After taxes, I set about determining what I'd like the new year to bring. Some will be an extension of incomplete tasks from 2011, some will be new education. Some will be personal improvements needed.

The best goals will be centered around actions to take. If these can be broken down into monthly, then weekly projects, that is best. The worst goals will be statements of results expected. A specific goal to learn how to build a profitable (ecommerce) site will yield better results, than a goal to make a hundred dollars a week from the (ecommerce) site. The former can be broken down into specific steps, and the latter is a destination.

What goals and education would you like to see covered as material on Experienced-People in the coming year? A great article to keep in mind for members, when setting goals, is the Top 5 Tips To Get the Most From Forums for those here (and future members) who know the benefits of interactive education.

Often, sharing goals with others will help you achieve them. What is next for you? What would you like to accomplish?

[Kay]

I find it difficult to do this, partly because time-management is difficult for me anyway (I tend to do what I want when I feel like doing it), and also because I can't predict what interesting new work is likely to land on my lap. It's happened before that I get an offer I can't refuse to jet off somewhere at very short notice on a writing job.

I used to spread myself too thinly (still do at times). I've improved on this by delegating and outsourcing a bit more. I don't take on anything for other people that doesn't particularly interest me in the first place, and for my own sites I'll try to outsource some of the work I don't have time for or feel less enthused about doing myself.

The main rule I have is always to meet any deadlines I've promised to someone else. If I say that a piece of work will be on your desk by the end of the week, then it will be unless there's a damn good reason. No feeble excuses. This does at least provide a bit of discipline in my otherwise Bohemian existence.

2011 was a good year for me (despite the Panda attack and drop in income). I sold off some small sites that I didn't really want anyway. Accepted only work which I really wanted to do. And stopped butterflying about so much. My goal for for 2012 is to do more of the same. I'm optimistic and enthusiastic about it. I have a very high regard for all the people I'm working with, so I'm expecting 2012 to be a great year. But I won't be making detailed plans of action unless someone sends me a crystal ball. (Please enclose a packet of Twiglets along with the ball.)

[Clinton]

What goals and education would you like to see covered as material on Experienced-People in the coming year? .....Often, sharing goals with others will help you achieve them. What is next for you? What would you like to accomplish?

Education I would like to see covered is more business related stuff - business principles, management, accounting, stock control, leasing premises, tax tips, contracts etc.

My main goals are outside of the internet but internet related goals include getting my portfolio a bit more organised, selling some more of my sites, and possibly leasing out some sites (including the one in my signature).

[KenW3]

I find it difficult to do this, partly because time-management is difficult for me anyway (I tend to do what I want when I feel like doing it), and also because I can't predict what interesting new work is likely to land on my lap.

I agree that time management is difficult for a business owner. We never know what will occur on any given day that will require attention. Not everything can be scheduled, so I end up with a continuously re-prioritised list of things to do on any particular day.

For new work, I never know when somebody is about to send me money through some site, but when it arrives, that stops everything and I say thank you For orders, some have to be forwarded to other people and some I have to fill myself. That takes priority. It sound like parts of your days are scripted, and you leave time available for activities that pop up and provide opportunity or require attention? Typical daily tasks required to stay in business often are not part of my goals, because it's not possible to stop doing these things.

Goals set are usually focused on achieving additional tasks, such as education or actions not part of daily routine. This way, when required work gets in the way of a goal (such as having a job or other commitments), getting back on track towards a desired future is easier. I should follow your example and learn to delegate and outsource more; Thanks, I will add that to my goals.

2011 was a good year for me (despite the Panda attack and drop in income). I sold off some small sites that I didn't really want anyway. Accepted only work which I really wanted to do. And stopped butterflying about so much. My goal for for 2012 is to do more of the same. I'm optimistic and enthusiastic about it. I have a very high regard for all the people I'm working with, so I'm expecting 2012 to be a great year. But I won't be making detailed plans of action unless someone sends me a crystal ball. (Please enclose a packet of Twiglets along with the ball.)

Crystal balls are not needed to determine the future This may sound like a cliché, but everyone does get to choose their future based on what they decide to do today and tomorrow each and every day. If someone has no idea where they want to be a year from now, then odds are you will be the same, doing the same things and having the same work and income as you do today. ...so before we know it, a year will pass and we'll be looking back on 2012. This is not necessarily a problem, especially if you are enjoying your current lifestyle and are completely happy with your lot in life.

It's great to hear 2011 was a good year for you. What would make 2012 even better? More of the same? What steps would help to get more of the same? This web business stuff has been a series of trial and error. Some of the errors I make are serious, and some of the things I tried were stupid (in retrospect). One goal that I constantly update is testing new ideas. I find things that could be useful, and add them as a goal to research and test the ideas. No foresight is needed, just allocation of time to test ways to make current work easier, find new sources of income, improve current results, whatever you believe will be important to you going forward.

Sorry, can't help with the Twiglets. Those sound like something to eat, tiny twigs? Are those something like deep-fried tiny branches from trees, perhaps covered in honey or chocolate? The only two new edibles that showed up over here were Cake Pops (better when dipped in some type of tasty goo) and boxes of Dr. Oetker Mug Cake (chocolate and caramel).

[KenW3]

Education I would like to see covered is more business related stuff - business principles, management, accounting, stock control, leasing premises, tax tips, contracts etc.

All of these sound like great ideas for threads. Each of these topics can be broken down into many multiple sub-threads with a focus on each. Business principles can cover operation and ethics, could be fundamentals or theory, can be industry-specific or broad structure. Management could encompass personal and business, best practices by type of structure, dealing with the wide varieties of personnel online and off. I wonder which would be best suited to start with for members of EP?

I suppose you know you just suggested several hundred threads minimum If each member picked a single specific topic to explore in one of these areas, something important to their future for the coming year, interaction within this community could add to achievement of goals. Starting even one thread a month that matches their goals, could enable faster progress toward goals and help for everyone here.

My main goals are outside of the internet but internet related goals include getting my portfolio a bit more organised, selling some more of my sites, and possibly leasing out some sites (including the one in my signature).

Leasing of sites sounds like a unique idea, but don't know how that would work. I have a similar goal of getting a better organised (and more profitable) portfolio. Two of my major goals involve building appraisal matrices for both domain names and websites (by type).

My main goals are on the internet. I see major disruptions in the economies of countries. The web allows business interests to be diversified across countries and currencies. Web businesses that have value across borders, that can be bought and sold in multiple currencies, that exist independent of country-specific bureaucratic oversight or regulation, has a safety factor worth pursuit online.

Family and God and community are priorities, but are not my goals. Goals usually revolve around how to take better care of my priorities

[Kay]

Education I would like to see covered is more business related stuff - business principles, management, accounting, stock control, leasing premises, tax tips, contracts etc.

I agree, but I would also say that an understanding of cash flow is very important. A lot of people don't seem to realise how important it is. I'm always on my soap box about it. Yes, stock control and all the other stuff, I agree on that too. It's incredible how many businesses that could be good go under because they don't understand some of these basic principles.

@Ken, you've sort of got the right idea about Twiglets. They're bits of small trees covered in Marmite, Love it or hate it - it's a part of British culture.

Family and God and community are priorities,

Oh, that's a BIG issue and I'll leave that for another day.

[aneil4lom]

My goals for the year relate more to one of my websites where sponsors pay me directly regardless of traffic.
After running it for 1 year with no income; I'm finally finding companies that want to advertise on it. So far 3 are interested.
I want to increase that to 8 over the course of the year.
I also want to expand the site in some way. Atm I'm not sure how. Maybe cater some content to a different audience or introduce a forum on the site.

[Slowdive]

2011 was a mess of a year for me, also a wonderful one on a personal level. Truth of it is though I flitted from project to project and got bogged down in what I could not do. My end goal for 2012 is to be in a similar of better position to where I was before I immigrated. So debt free, have three businesses running in the green and recreate a portfolio of quality sites. Also to nail down two new long term clients for my existing business.
It will be interesting to see how much of this I achieve, at this point all I can do is break it into manageable chunks. A quality site every 2 months, doable, one is already about to launch.....
Debt free, done, broke but its all my broke.
Business about to kick a website solution aimed at the local market off with a vengeance, lets see how much of a market there really is here.

I am going to tackle the above first and then drive straight into doing it again, the greatest tool one can have is a clear and realistic vision of the outcome one desires. Then its just a case of implementing and working at it constantly.

Oh and quit smoking, so close, so very close.
Its going to be a good year!

[JJMcClure]

I like to set my standards pretty low then fail to achieve them.

My goal for this year is get rid of all my clients and the need to ever find any more, they're the biggest problem with my business model.......