I was at a new restaurant. They handed me a menu. I opened it and the first thing listed was dessert. I knew it was going to be a fabulous meal.
My husband laughs at me because I always look at a menu in reverse order. What desserts do they have? What, if anything, am I going to want? Is there more than one dessert that interests me? Am I going to want to share a dessert?
I need to know how to pace myself, how much room to save in my “dessert spot” and if I need to get someone on board with me to split a dessert or maybe convince them to have the other dessert I’m interested in.
Once I figure out dessert I can decide what I want to eat.
It’s the same thing in your business.
You need to start at the end in order to figure out the best way for you to get there.
When you have the end goal in sight, know how you want to feel when you get there, and what will be going on when you achieve it, it becomes much easier to plot your course.
When you are at a restaurant the amount of time it will take you to reach your goal (that is to say, how long it takes to reach dessert) is predetermined, it’s the length of one meal. In your business, the amount of time it takes you to reach your goal is up to you.
Once you decide how long you want it to take, you can think of details or added bells and whistles as side dishes. Do you want to add them or skip them? If you add them, does it change how long it will take you to reach your goal? If it does, are you okay with that?
Do you need to partner with someone so that they can share the work and help you get it done quicker or maybe team up with someone to collaborate so that you can accomplish more in the same amount of time?
Having your goal in sight is vital to everything you do. Knowing your goal will guide you on how you structure your day, the products and services you offer and projects you decide to take on.
It’s also true for how you work with your clients. What are their goals? What is the best route for them to reach that goal? What role does your business play in their goals?
How can you help yourself (and your clients) reach dessert?
Oh and that restaurant I was at was Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale, AZ. Dinner was delicious and the dessert was even better. I highly recommend it.
Carrie Greene is a speaker, author & business coach. She is a business strategist & who helps entrepreneurs get clear on what they want and creating simple plans to get there. She is the author of "Chaos to Cash: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Eliminating Chaos, Overwhelm & Procrastination So You Can Create Ultimate Profit!" Resources at http://www.carriegreenecoaching.com