Capture time with goal      

It is a real challenging year for businesses in Nigeria and especially when you look at the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics reports. I personally believe that those facts will change and you and your business will be better off at the end. Although this may stretch your creative ability it will be for your good eventually. It is not impossible that this economic challenge and business struggle will force a business break through idea out of you.

If someone tells you that a prisoner with life imprisonment sentence would one day become a president, will you believe such a person? Your response will probably be that it is not possible.

Well, that was exactly the story of Nelson Mandela. He was in the forefront of the liberation struggle for the black people of South Africa but was jailed by the apartheid government.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state. He spent 27 years in jail and was released after an international campaign and lobby for his release.

All these delay year in year out and terrible experiences could not destroy Mandela’s dreams and vision. He made up his mind that come what may, he will not give up. In the process of time, things fell into place for him. His goal was achieved, although it took 27 years of his life.

Dear friend, your start-up or business dream and vision will not be ruined. Your dream will live and there will be improvement for you.

Every accomplishment in physical life is first accomplished in the mind and begins with clear focus. So what will be your centre of attention in the second half of 2016? What are the goals you want to score? What is your aspiration?

In English Premier League, when a team travels to play away game it is for the purpose of winning and it means the team must score goals. That is how winning teams like Leicester FC that won 2015/2016 EPL thinks both at first and second half of football matches.  I believe you and I want to win and be on top of our businesses. This means we must be goal conscious. There is need to set goals and believe for God’s help as we pursue it.

If your business and life will improve significantly then there is need to be clear about the result you want to see at the end of that year. That is what goal setting is about. When you set goals it keeps you focus and better your approach to life and business. When your goal is great not everybody can have your attention.

So how do you set goals that put your person and business on continuous improvement mode?

The first thing is be clear about purpose.

Purpose is the “Why”.  Purpose is the intention for anything. Your business purpose could be to help people access good and healthy food. Be clear about it.

What is the intention that is drives you to start a business? “Every purpose is established by counsel…”-King Solomon David

The second thing is set goals around the purpose.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”-  Paul Benjamin

Where purpose is known then setting goals around it makes the work easier. If your purpose is to help raise children to become productive individual then setting goals such as starting nursery and primary schools or child counselling firm are all towards one a clear purpose.

To set goals do it A.B.C way and I will quickly summaries this acronym bellow.

Achievable:  It should be what you can accomplish. There is no point setting goals beyond your control such as stopping rain from falling. Goals such as doubling your income, learning new skills, inventing a new technology are achievable.

Believable:  “If you cans believe, all things are possible to him that believes.”-Jesus Christ. The distance between your goal in the mind and the reality of it is your believe.  Your goal must be believable to you and your team members via communication.

Concrete: A goal should be definite or specific.  Is your goal is to add new clients? What specific number? It could be to add 5 clients in 5 months. If your goal is to improve your business profit then it could be by 10 percent every quarter of the year 2016.

One of the greatest benefits of goal setting is that it helps you to capture time. However a powerful is a footballer shooting ability, without the goal post, he cannot score goals.

Set goals and as you achieve each express gratitude and you will see improvement in your start-up.

Mamora Victor, MSMEs advisor and Business system consultant

Victor Mamora