business goals Archives | United Western Insurance Brokers

Dial in on End of Year Goals

Posted on October 23, 2018October 19, 2018 by UWIB Blog

At some point during the year, most of us look at the calendar and wonder, “Where did the time go?!” The start of the year doesn’t seem that long ago yet, here we are – quickly moving toward the end of this one.

It’s often a time of anxiety for anyone who sets goals. They realize that they’re running out of time to achieve them. Worse, they may have given up on some of them.

It isn’t the time to panic, however. Experts say that it’s the perfect time to get back on track and finish the year strong. But dialing in on year-end goals requires a few different strategies.

1. Step back and reassess

Take a look at all of your year-end goals, particularly the ones you may have had trouble achieving. Match them against what you want to accomplish by the end of this year and decide whether the goal is A) still in line with your values, B) the right goal given everything that’s happened over the year, and C) something you still have time to accomplish.

2. Let your intentions be known

Discussing your goals with someone else helps hold you accountable for achieving them. Attend networking events and tell people about your yearly goals. You’ll not only make your intentions known, but you may meet someone who has ideas about how to accomplish your goals.

3. Make the deadline your motivation

Sometimes having a countdown – in this case, a countdown for achieving your goals before the year ends – provides ample motivation. The deadline that didn’t seem daunting in January is now fast approaching. Decide what goals you’re going to keep and then set up a plan to achieve them in whatever time you have left.

4. Hone your mindset

Even if you’re pressed for time to complete your goals, don’t let the “pressure” cause you to sink into negative thinking. Instead, always think that your goals are achievable because you’ll work harder to reach them.

5. Don’t deplete your time and energy

A deadline that’s suddenly visible in the distance is an excellent reminder that you need to concentrate on the things that are most important. Spend your time wisely, which may mean delegating some of your tasks, but also spend your energy wisely by knowing the times of day when you’re most productive and creative.

6. Make each day count

One way to keep your eye on the prize and to move toward it is by setting priorities each day and then completing them. Work toward mastering the big picture by taking small steps each day.

7. Establish and stick with a plan

Being specific about what steps you need to complete to accomplish your year-end goals is never more important than when a deadline looms. List everything that you’ll need to do to reach your goal by its deadline. Take the right actions and visualize the outcome of those actions. As always, keep your goals as specific as possible.

There’s no better time than now to re-focus and get back on track if you’ve fallen behind on working toward your goals. Taking specific steps and actions will help show the way and help ease your anxiety.

Following Up and Resetting Goals

Posted on May 9, 2018May 3, 2018 by UWIB Blog

It’s that time of year when spring cleaning is on the minds of many people. You know – clean the house, garage, or anything else that’s become cluttered over the winter.

But have you thought about spring cleaning your goals? It’s not the same as tossing things to the curb or donating them to a worthy cause, but rather a reassessment.

That said, now’s the time to do a goal check-up and monitor your progress toward reaching them. Here are some suggestions:

1. Take time for reflection

Before you look towards the future, you need to take a good look at the past. Assess your successes and failures over the past few months, and give yourself credit for any goals that you’ve accomplished, no matter how small.

Ask yourself what can improve and what you wish you had done but didn’t. There’s no need to be hard on yourself. You want to be honest.

2. Examine why some goals got off-track

There are always reasons why a goal is off-track. If it involves your business or organization, perhaps it’s due to a lack of resources or a leadership issue. If the goal has become so far off-track that it’s impossible, you may want to reset and create a new goal.

3. Get rid of what you no longer need

Spring cleaning means getting rid of things that aren’t essential. The same rule applies to your goals. Ask yourself: Is everything I’ve spent the last few months working on crucial? Think of ways that you can cut back on non-essential activities.

Consider your responsibilities and which ones aren’t truly your own. Think about what duties you can phase out of your life.

Are there emotions, such as jealousy, resentments, or anger holding you back? We all experience those emotions from time to time, but an overload of them is counterproductive. Focus on the positive instead.

4. Pick a time to evaluate and reset your goals

Another way to stay on top of your goals is to choose a day each month in which you assess your goals and, if necessary, to reset them. But never reset a goal before understanding why it’s not working in the first place.

5. Create an action plan

Once you’ve reassessed your goals, choose a few of them that you’d like to focus on and create new deadlines (and a new plan) to reach them. Set deadlines for completing little tasks necessary for accomplishing a larger goal.

Setting yourself up for success means having a clear direction and roadmap for where you want to go. Always know your immediate, next step.

Take time to re-evaluate your goals and, if necessary, getting back on track for reaching them. It’s an important part of the journey.

Remember: Goals are fluid. They change and may not be as important now as they were when you originally set them.

Reflecting on your Business: Gratitude, Accomplishments, Takeaways

Posted on January 16, 2018January 13, 2018 by UWIB Blog

If you’re not in the habit of conducting a business evaluation at the end of every year, you should be! Sitting down to reflect on your business accomplishments and lessons learned is a great way to determine your path for the new year. It can be a crucial part of setting better goals and overcoming future challenges.

It’s also a way to organize and restructure your business if needed. When you recognize your victories, you can create more of them. When you acknowledge your challenges and failures, you can learn how to improve and change what has held your business from success in those areas.

Celebrate Your Big Wins

Doing an evaluation can be daunting, so the best thing to do is to start from the highest point. Pick 3 to 5 moments where your business really customer, outperformed your projections or otherwise shone like a star.

Don’t just think in terms of your whole business either. Make sure you give credit to specific teams who knocked the ball out of the park and praise them for carrying the company forward.

Assess Your Weaknesses

Once you’ve handed out praise for all the great work of the year, it’s time to get honest about areas where you may still be struggling. Which projects didn’t go as planned? Which teams were unable to hit their benchmarks?

It’s also a great chance to get down on the floor and meet with your staff to discuss their concerns. Were there any factors that hindered their progress through the year? Put this information in writing and brainstorm some solutions to be addressed in the new year.

Your team members can be an excellent agent for positive change if you take the time to listen to their thoughts and open the floor to creative solutions.

Set Fresh Goals

The best goals are those that push you just beyond your comfort zone but are totally achievable if you just go the extra mile. Now that you’ve assessed your strengths and weaknesses from the previous year settle on a goal for the new year that builds upon your successes.

Your new goal may require you to address some of the issues that previously popped up before you can achieve it. While you may choose one goal as a singular focus or theme for the new year, it’s also helpful to set milestones and smaller short-term goals that address things like budgets, staffing and other issues you need to overcome along the way.

An end of year assessment is a great way for businesses to slow down and determine whether they’re on the right path.

Instead of forging ahead into the new year blindly, take the time to meet with your team members and get a strong sense of what is working and not working.

Use this information as a tool to help guide you to make productive changes and improvements throughout your company.

Happy New Year from United Western Insurance Brokers. We’re happy to help you access your insurance needs for the upcoming year.

Goal Setting for Businesses: How to Set Goals for the New Year

Posted on December 12, 2017November 30, 2017 by UWIB Blog

For many people, setting goals is as much of a part of the holiday season as family gatherings and giving thanks. The same is true of businesses, who have an eye on the future while putting the finishing touches on 2017.

While holiday goal-setting often is associated with resolutions, it can run deeper than a desire to lose weight or start a fitness program – especially when it comes to running a business. For one, resolutions may fade quickly, while business goals should involve a detailed plan that’s actionable and trackable.

The following are suggestions for ways to set next year’s goals now for your business or enterprise.

1. Start by eliminating the “shoulds”

Instead of feeling sorry for things you haven’t done this year, focus on what you want to accomplish in the coming year instead. Goals fueled by guilt are less likely to be successful. They’re also more likely to trigger emotional reactions that prompt you to make decisions you normally wouldn’t.

2. Dream it

A great place to begin goal-setting is to consider everything you dream of accomplishing. It doesn’t even have to be overly-realistic, but it is essential to consider every possibility. Write down where you want to be in the future – one year from now, five years, ten years, etc. – and don’t exclude any idea, big or small.

3. Brainstorm

Once you’ve written down your dreams, it’s time for a brainstorming session to further flesh out your plans while also accessing others that may lurk in your sub-conscious.

4. Opt for guidelines

Setting hard and fast rules when setting action steps for your goals is sometimes counter-productive because business owners and individuals often abandon goals when they break the rules early in the process. Instead, set guidelines or policies that may be adjusted if you modify your goal.

5. Focus on today while planning ahead

Break down your goals into smaller chunks so that they don’t seem too overwhelming. You don’t want to lose sight of the big picture. However, taking each goal a step at a time enables you to build momentum and confidence.

6. Possible goals for your business

Here are some goals you can set for your business in the New Year:

• Improving your social media and digital presence

If your website is outdated or your web presence isn’t mobile-friendly, or if you don’t have a content strategy, now’s the time to get started.

• Managing and improving your cash flow more effectively

This is a great goal if you’re a small business owner who experiences dramatic ebbs and flows in your cash flow, or who hasn’t created enough capital to invest back into the business.

• Become a better communicator

A lack of communication is often the reason for misunderstandings among employees, low employee morale, or time wasted in repeating the same message.

• Learn to delegate more

Shifting some of your workload and letting others pick up the slack is crucial if you have so much on your plate that you can’t focus on growing your business.

The bottom line is that now is the best time to set goals for the coming year. By following a plan that’s actionable and includes all of your dreams – big or small – you’ll have a better chance of helping your business become what you’ve always envisioned.