Surround yourself with people who believe in you. 

Our team works really hard to help clients set and achieve business goals by producing a marketing road map and then supporting them step-by-step in their journey. We are content producers, cheerleaders, thinking partners, creators, managers, administrators and more. When you’re just getting started in your business it’s tough to be all of those things for yourself. Your number one job is to be great at what you do and so making time to focus on future goals on top of all of the day-to-day details that go into operating a successful business is a challenge.

One thing that helps me to maintain a good mindset is to surround myself with people who believe in me. It is very motivating to talk to people who are supportive and positive. And if you don’t have those people in your life, the good news is that there are loads of networking groups, support groups and masterminds both online and in real life that can help. Spend time with the people who believe in you and it will be easy to believe in yourself.

Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you are right.

Fact: You are far more likely to get where you want to go if you believe you can. It’s a different kind of confidence than just believing in yourself, it’s the kind of confidence that comes from your gut. Often it’s simply deciding that you can achieve your goal that helps to move things forward.

Find what feels good.

When I can find the fun in what I’m doing, laugh at myself and give myself grace for not always getting it right, results flow more freely. Focusing on what you want from your business should be fun. Leaning in to the feeling of your biggest dreams coming true feels amazing.

If the image of the end result doesn’t light you up, then you may want to reconsider your big goals. We were put on this earth to seek out joy. Find the fun in your work. It will do wonders for your mindset, and this change in mindset will set you on the path to your goals.

Journal, move or try meditation.

Every time I spend 10-20 minutes turning inward, either through a guided meditation, journaling or doing a YouTube yoga class, my mindset shifts, my nervous system relaxes and the ideas flow. Honestly, this works for me 100% of the time. 100%! And I still find it hard to do.

Procrastination is a very human quality but if you put time and effort into practices that quiet your mind, you will be impressed with the results. Here are a few tools I use:

• Yoga with Adriene
• Insight Timer guided meditation app
• Goal setting priming exercise with Tony Robbins.

Ask yourself: What do I have to lose? 

Perhaps the simplest mindset trick of them all is to ask yourself: What do I have to lose? Our minds are programmed to protect us, but if you really dig into this question it becomes fairly evident that the consequence of writing down a goal is not going to result in death. Sometimes we just need to take a minute to remind ourselves that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain when we set goals for ourselves.

Put a little time and energy into mastering your mindset when it comes to setting and achieving goals and I promise you will start to see results.

It is my job to help others achieve their goals. If you think about it, your job is likely to help others achieve their goals too. If you’re interested in getting some help in achieving your goals and think that a marketing plan might help, get in touch!

The post Mindset Hacks to Help You Set and Achieve Your Goals   appeared first on Fesyk Marketing.

Taking action can be terrifying because by taking a step you allow the possibility of failure. If you never did anything, you wouldn’t fail either. Sometimes our fear of failure overtakes our motivation to achieve our dreams, and we fall back on doing things the “safe” way. This often looks like avoidance or procrastination. We avoid setting goals with a specific measurable objective, or a specific deadline. Or we set these goals, and then we procrastinate about achieving them.

I have experienced these feelings myself. I spent this very morning taking the first steps toward achieving one of the 2022 goals that I set for Fesyk Marketing.

If I had to categorize this goal it’s one of the many smaller steps to achieving the big goal (my BHAG) and yet it feels enormous at the same time. You see, it is an action step that is way outside of my comfort zone. It is something that lights me up and aligns with my BHAG in a meaningful way. It is something that makes me feel inspired, creative, but also vulnerable AF. This goal relates to content creation and I think almost all of us can agree that creating authentic, meaningful content feels a little like we are exposing ourselves.

When we feel exposed and vulnerable, our little lizard brain, our amygdala screams “don’t do it!”. So we stop. And we tell ourselves stories like “I don’t have anything original to share,” “Why would anyone want to hear about what I have to say”  “Wait, what was that great idea I had again? I had it, but now it’s gone”. The ancient part of our brain does not see this as holding us back, its job is to be a protector and to prevent us from the dangers of life like being eaten by a lion. It’s not very practical in this day and age but evolution hasn’t been able to erase these little connectors deep inside our brain that are stopping us from doing the things that help us grow and achieve success.

So today I want to tell you the strategy I use to shush the part of my brain that holds me back and focus on what is actually important, which in this case is setting and achieving smaller goals to help move closer to my BHAG.

My secret is this. Do it anyway. One tiny step at a time, as much as you can possibly muster in the moment. How does one go about doing it anyway, you ask? Here are a couple of options.

#1 Mark time in your calendar or add an action step to your to-do list.

It’s so easy to procrastinate, but if you continue to create space to work toward achieving your goals the more likely you are to take action. One of my favourite sayings is: where the attention goes the energy flows. So, if you intentionally carve out time to focus on achieving your goals you surely are more likely to achieve them.

#2 Daydream.

Picture yourself achieving your biggest goal. Next, picture yourself achieving your small goal. Both feel really good! Whether it’s a smaller goal like ticking the box, leaving a networking meeting with five new connections, publishing a blog or social media post or, actualizing your BHAG, it’s important to take time to feel what the result will be like when you get there. If you feel a bit of fear or imposter syndrome when you lean into your dream, do a gut check and spend a little time writing down what it feels like to get the results you’re looking for.

#3 Brainstorm.

If you’re out of ideas on what to do next in your efforts to achieve your goal, set aside 20 minutes and list 10-15 things you could take action on right now. Stretch yourself a little. Tap into your intuition. There are no bad ideas. Once you’ve got your list pick one or two that you find a little more inspiring than the others and take action on those. If you need some inspiration for this check out this goal-setting worksheet we put together to help you.

#4 Move!

If you are staring at a blank screen, completely blocked of creativity and inspiration, the best possible thing you can do for yourself is to move. Go for a 20-minute walk, take a shower or jump onto YouTube and do a 20-minute workout or yoga class. Movement begets movement so as my favourite YouTube yoga teacher Adrienne says, “find what feels good” and get moving. You will be astonished at the results.

#5 Stay Accountable.

As I actively work toward creating a course to help business owners take action and create their own marketing plan, I get overwhelmed by the number of things there are do. I get stuck in overwhelm and sometimes it’s hard to take action steps forward. So my last piece of advice is to find motivation from others going through the same thing. An accountability partner can provide a sense of inspiration and help to create momentum too. You definitely don’t have to go it alone.

Those are my five tips! They help me to stop procrastinating and to start moving time and time again. Let me know how these work for you, or if you have some tips that always help you take action, let me know in the comments below. Keep going! You’ve got this.

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Key Takeaway

You need two things to achieve your goal. The first is vision. A picture in your mind’s eye of you achieving your goal. And the second is action. Achieve that vision by creating smaller, measurable goals and taking action steps as often as you can. Celebrate your wins and keep going!

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Need a little more help setting goals? Check out our previous blogs on goal-setting:

• Discovering Your Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal
• Why Does Your Business Need a BHAG?
• Why is Goal Setting So Hard?
• Why OKRs Are a Great Tool for Setting Goals

The post Vision and Action: Confronting the Fear of Making Goals Measurable  appeared first on Fesyk Marketing.

Big goals are really important. Knowing what you want from your business and where you want it to go provides clarity. It helps you make decisions. It helps you create a company culture. It helps you decide which projects to take on and which products to sell. Setting big hairy audacious goals is an essential part of our marketing planning process and has helped to guide many clients towards success.

In the last blog, we shared some tips for how to come up with a BHAG. But today we want to talk about why. Why should you have a BHAG for your business?

The Evidence for Outrageous Goals

There’s actually research to support making big, hairy, audacious goals! Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, who originally coined the term “BHAG,” came up with the concept during their six-year-long research project into what made companies enduringly great. They found companies that had big goals like this were more visionary and more successful.

Another reason is that by striving for big goals, we’re always giving our customers the best version of ourselves. Goals that might seem “unrealistic” make us more successful because we’re always trying to take the next step to reach them.

Let’s talk about that word, “unrealistic,” for a moment. We often include impossible goals and outrageous goals in this same category – for example, “I want to go to Mars tomorrow” and “I want to go to Mars in the next ten years.” But we should really separate the two. Impossible goals make us feel hopeless and discouraged. But insanely high goals give us clear steps to take towards them, even if they’re hard goals to reach. When I encourage my clients (and myself) to set big goals, I encourage them to think of outrageous, audacious—and yes, maybe even unrealistic goals. But not impossible ones. The trick is to stop yourself from putting everything you want in the “impossible” category.

Why? Because BHAGs Keep You Focused

It’s easy to get distracted by the things that happen day to day so having a big hairy audacious goal can be your north star, your lighthouse, that always brings you back.

Some famous examples of BHAGs help illustrate this. Here are two well-known ones:

• Microsoft in the 1980s: “A computer on every desk and in every home” (This seems obvious and inevitable today, but in the 1980s it was crazy to think of a computer in every home!)
• SpaceX (and Elon Musk): To put a human on Mars and bring them back.

Does this make you feel intimidated! Don’t be! Those are their goals, not yours. But take it as an example of how big you can make your goal. Are these goals big, hairy and audacious? They sure are!

Next, think about how simple these goals are. They’re not vague, they don’t just promise to do “better.” These BHAGs state a concrete vision of the future. So the answer to why create a BHAG for yourself is that such a clear, memorable vision gives you a direction. You won’t get distracted.

You won’t forget what it is. You will know when you’ve achieved it.

But take the time to make sure this goal is what you want. You probably don’t dream about going to Mars! (Or maybe you do—that’s fine too!) When you think about your future, what is something that feels big and scary, but is truly something you want to achieve?

For example, my BHAG is to be able to run my fulfilling, profitable business from my own beach house by 2030. This is my concrete vision that puts together all the things I knew I wanted when I started my business (see above:  earn a good living, work flexible hours, have the freedom to move cities or countries if need be, and get a sense of fulfillment). But a beach house is a straightforward vision I can always keep in the front of my mind. And having this vision means I can keep reorientating my priorities when I see they will not get me to where I want to go.

So there you have it—two reasons for why you should make a big, hairy, audacious goal.

It can be really tough to allow yourself to think big, and decide what you want personally for yourself and for your business but if you take some time it can be a difference-maker in your business.

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Key Takeaway:

Why have a BHAG for your business? 1. Big goals will make your company visionary. 2. A big goal will keep you focused on what you really want to achieve.

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I know you can do it! Want more tips on goal-setting, marketing, and more? Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this straight to your inbox.

Resources:

• Discovering Your BHAG (Fesyk blog)
• Jim Collins on BHAG
• Investopedia definition of BHAG
• A blueprint for setting ambitious goals
• This Is Why You Should Start Setting ‘Unrealistic’ Goals

The post Why Do You and Your Business Need a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)? appeared first on Fesyk Marketing.

It seems like it would be easy to paint a picture of what your dream business and dream life looks like. But for some reason, for most, it’s not. We often get in our own way. The reason this is called a “big hairy audacious goal” (BHAG) is because in this step you allow yourself to believe the big goal you want deep down is actually possible. So, here are three strategies you can use to motivate yourself and push through the obstacles you may have placed in front of yourself.

Ask yourself what do you actually want. And keep it simple.

Chances are, if you close your eyes and let yourself daydream about what your ideal life looks like, you would come up with something pretty great. It might include great health in old age and more time to spend with loved ones. Or maybe it’s a great work/life balance. There are no rules when it comes to setting this goal but make sure it’s a big one. The secret to creating a BHAG is setting aside time to do this. And then setting yourself free from all of the “shoulds” and “hows” to see what you actually do want.

Is it a lifestyle? Is it to sell your business and make millions? Is it to make a difference in the world? Is it a beach house in Mexico or Hawaii? Because this is step one of a marketing plan, you might be tempted to focus on business success or money. Take a moment to free yourself from that and allow yourself to think about your life as a whole. Your BHAG doesn’t need to begin with great detail for this exercise to be effective.

Remove the word “how” from this exercise.

Imagine that your opportunities are limitless—that everything is possible. If the word how starts to creep into your mind, stop it immediately. Get it out of your head. The how is not important when you’re setting a big hairy audacious goal. The how will come in time. It’s all part of the planning process.

Another question that might be helpful when you are at this stage is, “what would you do if you knew you could not fail?” This might be a helpful strategy for removing the fear from blocking your dreams, and another way to set yourself free from thinking about the “how” too early. We easily set aside what we want because the obstacles to achieving that are too daunting. Set aside the fear and the “how” and see where you dreams take you.

Make it easy on yourself.

How do you like to communicate? Do you prefer the written word, or are you more verbal? Maybe you’re more of a visual person, or a crafty person and a vision board will make it easier for you to create your BHAG. When it comes to digging deep and reflecting on what you want for yourself and your business, use the tactic that comes naturally to you.

For me, I am a verbal processor. I need to talk things through and so the easiest way for me to great BHAGS is to talk it through with others and then write it down.

I know you can do it! You have dreams and goals for your life, and by taking time to recognize them and define what they are to yourself you will reconnect with why you have a business in the first place. All the pieces might not be in place quite yet, but that’s okay—once again, this stage is not thinking about the “how.” This is the stage for dreaming big and conceptualizing where you want to go! Deep down, you have strong values that you want to see brought to life. Dare to bring these ideas to the surface and use them to prioritize what you’re doing in your marketing and your business.

Check out our post about creating an action-oriented marketing plan for yourself here. Or learn more about why your business needs a BHAG here.

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The post What do You Want? Discovering Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal   appeared first on Fesyk Marketing.