Some studies suggest that over 80% of us will not achieve our New Years’ Resolution, while 35% forget about it altogether come March. Why do you think this is?

I think that one of the biggest reasons that New Years’ Resolutions fail is the same reason as to why we fail goals in general. They’re simply statements with no plan, a huge time constraint and often, we don’t seek the right support to make them happen.

When it comes to being an entrepreneur, there will be a lot of times that you will feel you have failed at what you’ve set out to achieve. In fact, even I feel like this sometimes, and I have a successful business and am a recognised entrepreneur. So, how do we minimise this feeling of failure as an entrepreneur and start achieving our goals for once and for all?

My Top Five Tips for Achieving Your Goals as an Entrepreneur

I have five simple pieces of advice that will help you set realistic goals and get working through them in no time.

#1 Set Goals Properly

You will instantly set yourself up for failure if your goal is vague, and you’re not certain on the steps it takes to achieve it. Goals that are too broad can lead to overwhelm, and in the end we abandon them altogether, or get frustrated with ourselves for getting ‘nowhere’ no matter how much work we’ve done. It’s a sure-fire way to lose your entrepreneurial spark.

Rather than saying ‘I want to make $100k in business’ set your goals with the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Manageable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

How will you make that money? Why? What will need to be done? Is it really possible?

You can find out more about each of these by visiting this page.

#2 Acquire What You Need To Achieve

If you need resources to help you accomplish your goal, it’s important that you acquire them before you get started. Otherwise, you won’t be able to really kick off. This leads to worrying as time ticks by and you’ve made little progress, which eventually leads to giving up altogether.

If you need to take a course, hire someone, start a social media profile – anything that is required to accomplish your goal, do that first.

#3 Have a Realistic Time Frame

Do some research on how long some activities take others to complete. Also, keep your own timetable in mind and be realistic with it. If you burn yourself out, you won’t achieve anything for some time to come.

For example, if you want to write a book. How many hours can you spare a week? Try and dedicate one third of that time to working on your book. After all, doing small amounts of work over a long period of time is much more effective than doing nothing at all because you can’t find a day to set aside for it.

#4 Break Your Goals Down Into Steps

Again, one large goal can take up a lot of time – and while we’re working on it consistently, it can sometimes take a while to even make a dent in the end result.

By breaking your goal down into smaller steps that are milestones of achievement along the path to your larger goal, you will re-energise your mind and feel inspired to continue along the right path.

#5 If You Don’t Achieve? Reassess

All of these steps are helpful stepping stones in achieving your biggest goals. However, this fifth and final step is my most important piece of advice when it comes to setting goals and achieving them as an entrepreneur.

Never stop trying. Don’t deem yourself a failure if you don’t achieve a particular goal. Take some time to reflect on why you didn’t achieve your goal this time, and what you could have done differently. What types of resources or support would have made it easier – an assistant, some training? Which skills could you have sharpened in order to achieve your goals – time management?

There are a lot of factors that come into play when trying to achieve your goals and grow your business and presence as an entrepreneur. While sometimes it will get you down, if you never stop trying you will never truly fail.

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Just like anyone in any position, us engineers take a lot of pride in our hard work. Aside from all of the hard work, determination and knowledge that goes into an engineering project, we get to see something very special when it comes to project outcomes: the difference it makes to the lives of people. Just in the way that a waiter or a chef provides a valuable experience for a family who are dining out for a special occasion, an engineer can provide convenience and make a huge difference in the way of everyday life.

One particular project that I’ve held close since completion for this very reason is the South Road Superway project. This was $1 billion project that I was a part of for three years and has had a positive impact on not only the community, but all of those who visit South Australia in the form of transportation. An easier, more reliable commute has been created for not only workers but industry as well. As the only continuous transport link between the northern and southern suburbs, South Road is a crucial freight route for business and industry. South Road also forms the spine of connections to the major intermodal transport hubs of Adelaide, which are highly reliant on an efficient north–south road corridor. The introduction of the South Road Superway has ensured that efficiency and opened up a booming opportunity for South Australia.

 

Throughout this elevated roadway project, I worked in two areas. These areas were CFA Piling, also known as foundation work, and Intelligent Traffic System (Smart Communicate & Monitoring System). I am so proud of not only my work, but the work of the entire time throughout this project. I am very excited to see the outcome and the positive impact that the South Road Superway Project has already had on this state I love to call home, and I’m eager to watch the rest of the benefits unfold over the long term as we had initially planned for this project. To find out more, head over the official South Australia Government website, where everything is detailed: https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/infrastructure/nsc/south_road_superway.

One of the best things about my job is being able to step back and admire what has been completed. Making a real difference in not only Adelaide but all of Australia, and the world at large, is a dream come true for me. What is the best part of your job, and how do you like to make a difference? Don’t forget, you don’t need to be an engineer to make someone’s day better.

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When it comes to being an entrepreneur, mindset is everything. While it’s important to be focused and goal oriented, a positive mindset is the foundation for success. Along your entrepreneurial journey it is common to hit a lot of road blocks, face setbacks and even be halted by rejection. A positive mindset is the best way to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue along the road to success! While I’ve already covered some great methods for staying motivated on the blog, I’d love to go through the power of affirmations and cover some that I’ve found work well for entrepreneurs just like us.

Daily affirmations are a great way to train your mind to automatically react positively to situations and keep an optimistic attitude about your abilities even when things aren’t quite working out how you had planned. The following affirmations have been developed to build confidence in yourself, your business and your purpose. Here are my top seven affirmations for entrepreneurs to practice regularly for a positive mindset!

1. I Am Worthy of Success!

Repeat this one every morning. I am worthy of success! Any doubt in your mind about your worthiness to succeed will cloud your judgement, and perhaps even hold you back.

2. I Believe in Myself!

Even if potential investors or partners you’ve approached aren’t too keen on your idea, you are! If you believe in yourself, your idea and your product then your confidence will shine through and convince everyone around you that it is worthy of believing in.

3. My Work Makes a Difference!

Knowing how you can positively impact the lives of others is a great feeling – take that forward with you and you’ll never give up.

4. I Am Driven By Passion & Purpose

Remember why you started! Although financial freedom is a great motivator, let’s not forget that you have a purpose that runs much deeper than money. You are driven by passion and purpose, let it keep driving you.

5. I Am Smart & Successful

You don’t need to be making 6 figures or featured on the television to be successful. You’ve created something that is completely your own, you’re building a business. You are already smart and successful, having done what many others have not had the courage to do!

6. I Work When I Want, Where I Want, With People I Want To Work With

This one is especially helpful when it comes to facing rejection. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise? The people we are most suited to working with will be drawn to us and vise versa – repeat this affirmation to remember you’re where you need to be.

7. I Always Make Time for My Family & Friends

All entrepreneurs knock themselves for a day off, trust me. However, work life balance is especially important in the entrepreneurial world! Repeat this affirmation and feel a little better about accepting the dinner invitation. Positive time off is essential for returning with a fresh mind!

Do you have any affirmations you’d like to share? Why not let me know on Instagram!

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A common theme in the entrepreneurial world is losing motivation. When it comes to taking the big leap into being your own boss, it can be a little disheartening (and even a little frightening) when things don’t set into motion straight away, and the urge to jump back into the comfort of an 8 am – 5 pm is understandably strong. Even when you do start to see a little traction in your path, being in charge of your own time, projects and your own work day can quickly lead to burn out and a loss of motivation! I’d love to share with you some of my own tips that I’ve taken through my entrepreneurial journey, that have helped me stay motivated and lead me to the path of self-made success!

 

Plan Ahead

Planning out your day or week can really make a huge difference to your productivity levels, and your work-life balance! Schedule in your social time, and block your days for work, networking and brainstorming. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks – if you feel like you’re on a roll and don’t want to stop then go ahead and keep working but leave yourself some down time to help avoid burnout. Waking up without a plan is a sure-fire way to waste the day and go to bed stressed about something you’ve forgotten.

 

Remember Good Things Take Time

Keep the motivation alive by remembering exactly how much hard work goes into becoming a successful business owner or entrepreneur. Take a little time each day to ground yourself and remember that this is not a journey of instant gratification for anyone. Did you know that J.K Rowling’s original pitch for ‘Harry Potter’ was rejected 12 times? Imagine if she had given up. Harland Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC, didn’t become a millionaire until 73 years old after his recipe was rejected by numerous restaurants. It’s never too late to start, and it’s never a good time to stop trying. If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, maybe switch up your ways of working or tweak your current pitches. Whatever you do, don’t stop.

Set Goals: The 1-2-3 Method

Having goals is a perfect way to measure your personal achievements on your entrepreneurial journey. However, the ‘end goal’ can sometimes take many people years to reach, so it can be a little unrealistic and hard to stay motivated. Something I recommend using is the 1-2-3 goal setting method.

1: Set your BIG GOAL.

 2: Set TWO MEDIUM GOALS, usually tasks, that by achieving you will be closer to the big goal.

3: Set THREE SMALL GOALS for each medium goal that will get you closer them once finished.

It’s a great way to track the little thing you’re achieving and maintain your motivations!

Goals, planning and a little perspective are the best ways to stay on track and keep you motivated to achiever your dreams! Do you have any of your own tips? Why not leave a comment!

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