Confused as to where you are going next year? If you are like me you probably plan tomorrow’s activities the night before or when you read your email in the morning. You may have a todo list for the week or a calendar of appointments and tasks. Do you have the same thing in place for your goals and aspirations? Take a moment and start planning for 2008 today. It will help you make sure your team and vendors are informed on how to make your 2008 successful.
Remember this acronym when writing goals: SMART

Specific – Goals should include what you are trying accomplish and what resources you need to accomplish them.
Measurable – It should be obvious when you have achieved a goal or step in reaching the goal. This could be things like updating your website, running a marketing plan, getting so many new clients, increasing revenue by a certain percent.
Attainable – You can obtain almost any goal given the right resources and time. Make sure that are dedicated to making this goal a reality.
Realistic – Make sure you believe you can accomplish this goal. Have you done something similar in the past? Or do you need the help of others to make it a reality? Make sure the bar is high enough to help you stretch and grow your business, but that it does not over extend your resources.
Time Sensitive – I find myself setting someday goals. These aren’t actually goals, they are desires. A real goal has a timeline involved, which will hold you accountable to achieving the goal by a given date. This way you commit to the goal today, engage your mind, and work towards achieving tomorrow’s success.

Web technologies and automation can be an important part of achieving goals. As you write your goals also think about ways to make accomplishing them easier. Think of how much easier it is to get to Chicago by plane instead of walking their! Technology and good marketing can give you a leap forward. Having a system in place to best leverage your time and resources is an important part of attaining a goal. Also take a look at last month’s quick tip “Organization de Digital” for some more ideas. I wish you the very best in your planning for a successful 2008!