Actions speak louder: 6 steps toward achieving business goals

As a small business owner you can sometimes feel you’re treading water just to stay afloat — responding to the challenges of each day rather than setting goals for the future.

But recent research shows taking time to brainstorm and write down a vision for your business can be a huge indicator of motivation and productivity, especially if the goals you create are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed. As such, consider using this process for future goal setting.

1. Start by creating a master list on which you brainstorm everything you want to establish or achieve within your business, from small tasks to larger projects. The list can be constantly upgraded to reflect new goals and ideas.

2. Highlight the 10 tasks you deem most urgent or important and list the specific actions you must take to make them happen. This step may help you rule out improvements that are beyond your scope in time, finances or complexity — or just not worth the projected effort.

Only you can decide the methods used to prioritize. Some business gurus argue tasks that don’t directly drive your business have no place on your top-priority list; as a test, ask yourself what will happen if the task isn’t accomplished. Organizational guru Stephen Covey recommended numerically ranking each task by importance and urgency.

Others recommend getting unappealing tasks completed first, since thinking about them can sap your energy. Some promote taking care of small tasks first to better focus on the large ones. But others point out you might be wasting your talents if you put off projects you can ace, especially if they’ve been on your wish list for a long time.

Don’t let the multitude of different strategies and choices paralyze you from moving forward with some kind of improvement plan; any action is better than none.

3. Now start with No. 1 and plot out a calendar that establishes a realistic timeline for taking the corresponding actions. Depending on scope, you can use that master calendar as a guideline for drawing up weekly and daily to-do lists that keep your goal at the forefront and prevent indecision.

4. Start taking action, trying not to worry about perfection or daily interruptions. That first step can be the most important, since it triggers feedback and ideas, and propels your confidence.

5. Once No. 1 is achieved, tackle the rest of your top 10 goals in sequence. After that, turn back to the next 10 from your master list and repeat the process. You may be amazed at your progress.

6. Recognize and celebrate the reaching of your goals so you maximize the best part: the sense of achievement.

The late Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” believed goals are worthless without specific plans in place to make them happen.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule,” he wrote. “But to schedule your priorities.”