Having goals is a start – Actions to achieve goals makes them real

We are now 10% into the 2015 campaign. You created goals for your year and are now in pursuit of those goals – or are you?

I talk to lots of entrepreneurs who have wonderfully prepared or identified the goals they want to achieve for the year. I find far fewer entrepreneurs that actually have a plan of actions they are taking to achieve those goals.

It is easy to understand that in order to achieve a goal of running a marathon that one must consistently run increasing longer distances to get in shape to run the marathon. The action to achieve the goal is to block out increasing amounts of time to run increasingly longer distances. No time commitment. No running. No marathon goal achieved. The goal will be achieved by running (action) but, without the time commitment the running can’t happen. The time commitment predicament is exactly why over 80% of gym memberships go unused after 4 weeks.

Entrepreneurs get caught in this goals/actions trap all the time (everyone does for that matter). Stuff comes up. Opportunities. Events. Old habits. All kinds of stuff. Now is exactly the right time to look at your calendar since the new year started and assess how your time commitment (and therefore your actions) is propelling you to achieve your goals. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s likely not happening. Block it out. Block it out like you might block out a workout at the gym on Tuesday and Thursday at 7am. Your calendar (if you respect it) will then MAKE the time for you to achieve your goals. Achieving your goals, like a lot of things, starts with showing up. It’s your calendar and they are your goals.