As the end of a decade is around the corner, a few days to be exact, many of us are thinking about our new year’s resolutions. I like the idea of goal setting instead of a resolution, goal setting is a lot more manageable and less overwhelming.
Lists aren’t universal and can’t be applied to everyone, but I’d like to share a few things that are important for entrepreneurs to reconsider for 2020 goals:
- Goal Setting is one of the main pillars of entrepreneurship. Without setting goals and figuring out some of the metrics you need to continue your success, there will be a lack of focus and things that should be prioritized will take over your to do’s. When I launched the centre, we created our list of OKRs (Objectives, Key Results). I didn’t want my tasks to be daunting, I wanted to see my goals as action items I need to do to meet those metrics. So I created small chunks of goals, and I make sure to revisit weekly, monthly and quarterly. I don’t set out to create a resolution, because that automatically is something I’m not willing to tackle. Set goals that are manageable, that are business oriented, but more importantly, goals that you enjoy working towards completing. It will make your to do list so much more enjoyable, and rewarding once accomplished.
- Getting Comfortable with Talking about Your Accomplishments for many entrepreneurs, especially women, we have such a hard time talking about our accomplishments with others, let alone sharing it publicly. Getting comfortable for you to be able to do that helps us to remember our own accomplishments and as a result, helps to build our confidence level up. With that being said, there’s a catch. It’s important to also know when to share accomplishments, and for what purpose. I didn’t announce many of our milestones at Parkdale Centre right away, I still make sure to take the time I need to fully digest everything, and making sure *it’s real* before I share publicly. I do this for several reasons, I want to make sure that what I put out there is actually happening. I also think it’s important to be in a position of strength when you publish accomplishments publicly. What that means is that you’re confident by making it public nothing will be able to jeopardize this accomplishment, also by making it public, you’re helping to deliver on your mission and cause, rather than adding more barriers to it. Talking about your accomplishments requires a tricky balance, between knowing when to talk about them, and also talking about them in a way where it *serves a purpose*, and not just shouting accomplishments into thin air. For example, you’d like to announce that you received a grant for a new program. Make sure that you have the funds secured, you’ve got the thumbs up from the grantor to share this publicly, *and* by sharing it, your goal is to get people involved in this new program.
- Don’t Compare Your Success to Others This is likely one of the most important goals we all need to work on, whether you’re in entrepreneurship or any other industry. While social media helps us to stay connected and widen our networks, it could also be a place for people to share only their highlights rather than failures and hard work put into the work. Going into 2020, aiming to focus on your own work, your successes *and* failures can help you to remain focused on your Goals! Perhaps, taking some time away from social media can help to reevaluate your priorities and things you need to focus on the most. Social media is such a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, in fact, we have a whole focus on digital presence and entrepreneurship in all of our programs. However, if you allow it, social media can also work as a distraction from your work and takes you away from the goals you set up above. Try allotting specific time to be on social, if you need to check IG, Twitter, or any other platform you use. Make sure to stick to that time, and when it’s up, turn it off and do something else *for yourself*. Most phones now have a wellness section under Settings, and you could track how many minutes/hours you’re on every app. It helps to take a look at that and monitor your usage. As entrepreneurs, since our business never stops, we often use the excuse of “work” to be on social media. Luckily, I left that in 2018. Now, we make sure to schedule all our social media, and there’s no need to be “on” all the time. Focus on becoming a creator instead of a consumer.
There are of course tons more goals and things we should all aim for in 2020, after all, it’s the start of a new decade! However, I usually like to take it one step at time, one quarter at a time, so as to not overwhelm myself, but also smaller goals are much more accomplishable than resolutions. What are some of the goals you’re working towards in 2020?
Inclusive Entrepreneurship 