What is the goal of New York Giants or any football team?
The answer should be easy. This team’s goal each and every year is to win the Super Bowl.
There’s no question about this. Every player shows up for pre-season training with that goal in mind. Every practice drill is performed with that goal in mind. And every game is played to win, because each win will put the team one step closer to the Super Bowl.
So, what is your company’s end goal? Can you answer this question without missing a beat? Do you clearly know and understand what your organization has set out to achieve? And, just as important: does every employee in your organization know what this goal is?
And most importantly, do you know precisely what you need to do this month, this week, and today, to make significant progress towards this end goal?
If not, then THAT is the real reason why your business is “stuck.”
If you don’t know precisely what you need to do beyond today, then you’re thinking like a drug addict.
Let me explain. The most successful entrepreneurs in the world focus on the long-term. Sir Richard Branson. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. And many more — they all had BIG long-term visions, even when they were just starting out.
In fact, ALL successful people think long-term. These are individuals who build trees under which their grandchildren will sit.
On the other side of the spectrum are drug addicts. Drug addicts don’t think at all about tomorrow. They spend all their time today looking for their next quick fix. Their only plans are to figure out how to immediately get more drugs. As a result, they never achieve success. But rather, they fall deeper and deeper into despair.
So, how do you run your business? Do you act like a drug addict and focus each day on trying to increase today’s revenues and profits?
Or, do you operate like a successful entrepreneur, with a methodical plan that will BOTH build revenues and profits today AND create the necessary infrastructure for your long-term growth, several years from now?
Answer honestly.
The key is to start by creating the long-term vision of where you want to go, and then reverse engineer it.
You see, if I asked where you’d like your business to be in 5 years, or 1825 days, you’d probably be able to answer fairly easily.
But how about if I asked you where you’d like to be in 1824 days? Or 1823 days?
And what about 987 days from now?
Or 481 days from now?
Or 84 days from now?
The fact is that you COULD answer these questions for every single day from now until 5 years from now, all the way back to the present day.
And if you did that, you’d know exactly what you’d have to do tomorrow to be on the right trajectory to meet your 30 day, 365 day and even 5 year (1825-day) goals and vision!
Now, in reality, setting goals for each of the next 1825 days is not practical. Not only would it take too much time to complete, but your business and strategy needs to evolve over time. No business operates in a vacuum, and you must be flexible and willing to change.
But, you can figure out where you need to be in the next year, and figure out what you need to accomplish this month to allow you to get there. And then you could plan your days to ensure that progress is continually made.
In summary, to succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to have a clear goal and vision of what you want to achieve. Then you need to create a step-by-step game plan to get there. Because you can’t go from A to Z without achieving B, C, D and so on. The key being that you must plan out and execute on the smaller periodic goals (e.g., weekly, monthly, annual goals) that you must accomplish to achieve your end goal.
For my proven methodology on how to create a step-by-step plan to build your ideal company, pick up a free copy of my book, Start At The End: How Companies Can Grow Bigger And Faster By Reversing Their Business Plan.
Get Your Free Copy of “Start at the End”
It’s the 5th year anniversary of my best-selling book — Start At The End — and to celebrate, I want you to have a copy for free (just help me out with the shipping).
The book covers my favorite topic…
… how to create an effective business plan, so you grow a successful, profitable company and achieve your goals.
As I explain in the book, the key is to start by creating the long-term vision of where you want to go… and then reverse engineer it.
Click here to learn more and grab your free copy now (just help me out with the shipping).
