By: Mike Giordano

With December drawing to a close, we’re all celebrating the closeout of another year of outstanding achievement and unparalleled progress….right? Well, if you didn’t reach all of your goals this year, don’t get too down on yourself. You’re not alone.

Most truly successful entrepreneurs take time as the year winds down to reflect on their accomplishments and how they measured up to the goals they set last year. If you didn’t meet your goals, didn’t remember your goals or simply didn’t set any goals, then this message is for you.

Without exception, everyone should set goals. You can’t work toward achieving something and measure your progress without a benchmark. Professional goals are important, but don’t forget to set personal goals as well. We were put on this earth to live and enjoy life, so we should work to live, not live to work. Don’t confuse the two.

Once you reflect on your goals for 2015, write them down. As my wife, Celeste, always says, “That’s a writer downer.” I’m not sure what part of the country that saying came from, but I never lived there! If you don’t write down your goals on paper, they are nothing but wishful thinking. And wishful thoughts are fleeting!

The next step is to share your goals with someone you respect who cares about you and will hold you accountable. It’s inevitable and normal to face setbacks and obstacles. You may even get knocked down hard a few times. That’s why an accountability partner is invaluable. They encourage you to do what you say you’re going to do, especially when you need help dusting yourself off and getting back on your path to success. Often, people turn to business coaches to fill this role.

Be sure to set realistic attainable goals with specific time-bound milestones. Believing you can achieve anything is important, but setting unrealistic goals can be like setting yourself up for failure. If you don’t have a drivers license and have never driven a car, setting a goal to be a racecar driver at the Indy next year is a bit far-fetched. Attaining goals requires consistently taking action steps, and that takes time.

On the other hand, don’t set your milestones too far ahead either. You don’t want to set a goal to accomplish next year what you could really accomplish in half that time. Set specific, measurable goals that challenge your skills and capabilities.

Now to the heart of this message: Track your progress. If this is the first time you’re evaluating your progress this year, you likely aren’t where you’d like to be. At Celeste Giordano Coaching, we recommend that you monitor and record your progress on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. If you are in sales, the “check-in” frequency should be daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly. By continuously tracking your progress, you can make adjustments along the way to ensure that you stay on track.

By setting and recording specific, attainable goals; establishing realistic milestones; sharing your goals with an accountability partner; tracking your progress and making adjustments, you can look forward to a new year filled with growth, prosperity and success.