How To Be Realistic About Goals

The flashing lights of social media has seemingly changed people’s thoughts on their own live.They feel as if they do not measure up to others because supposedly, their “peers” are doing “way better” than them. First, let’s start with a quote from Marc Ecko:

Stop seeking validation that can only be found in finite numbers.

When I heard him say this in the Fashion In Conversation Podcast my mind was blown. I had to stop working out! This is very true, we get caught up in numbers that really don’t matter. He also said:

Wealth that matters cannot be counted.

Let’s not worry about social media numbers defining you. Now that we’ve got that out the way, let’s talk about creating realistic goals for your small business.

Start Small In Comfort Zone

If you are just launching a business, I tell people that you should start with a small number that you feel comfortable with. We will use the example that you are testing the waters in the small business world and you still have a 9 to 5 for steady income. If your bills are $1200 a month then we want to cut your monthly sales goal into $600 a month, something very small-yet reachable. When I first started I knew business was broken down into quarters, but I didn’t know what that meant for my business exactly. Now I have yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals. That’s too much starting out in my opinion. You should think about it, but not heavily to where it overwhelms you, because if you miss your goal you will feel some type of way. Start small

Create Accountability

Don’t just say your monthly sales goal is $600 and not do anything to achieve it. You need to create accountability for yourself. In word or excel make a simple flow chart to track your process. This will help you know which items are your hot pieces. Yes, your sites backend might do it for you, however you might switch so track it yourself – starting now. Put your sales goals on your mood board in your office so you can see it daily.

Do Not Keep Up With The Jones

Your are not them. You might not even be their target demographic. You are caught up in the instagram cliche’s and the numbers that might not even be real. The fact is that likes do not equate sales. They are just likes that made Kevin of Instagram richer because Mark acquired them. Don’t get caught up in how it was done. One of my brilliant online friends Erika said she created her own tipping point. Which is brilliant. Stop waiting to be discovered, figure out how you can create your own pivotal moment.

Success Takes Time

There was a point when this site was only getting 42 site views a month, that’s it. It took time for me to break that 10,000 mark. I had to be realistic about getting there, every time I got higher and higher, I felt proud. I ignored what the Jones were saying about how attracting brands means you will need these numbers. I was attracting them before I had those magical numbers. The Jones don’t know everything and you have to be okay with being you. You cannot be Emily of Cupcakes & Cashmere right away. One thing I do love about Emily is she is very honest in her interviews. She rarely does them but always drops really good gems when she does. It took two years before people started really noticing her site.

Be realistic about your company. Be realistic about your goals. You don’t want to have a mid-life break down because of missing one goal. As Tim Gunn says — “make it work”

Photography image by Waferboard; imaged sourced by Flickr Creative Commons