Tag: goals

Productivity for Solopreneurs - Insights to getting things done #105 : Intentions vs Goals

Intentions vs Goals

by EvieBurke, posted in video

Every month in the Unnamed Productivity Club we have a Planning Party.

This isn’t about the club.

It’s about something I share there everymonth before we do our planning.

It’s the difference between intentions and goals.

It’s an important distinction because too many times I see someone setting a goal that they want to make a certain amount of money or sign this many new clients this month.

And maybe they even create a really fun way to track their progress toward that goal.

But if you ask them about how they’re going to achieve that goal, they have some vague plans that they’re not tracking.

This is why this distinction is so important.

When you separate intentions from goals, you end up with a two-step process that helps you create the outcomes that you really want.

So, what is the difference between intentions and goals?

What most people call goals I call intentions because you intend for them to happen, but can’t actually control it. You can make the conditions more favorable for them to happen, but you aren’t directly in charge.

You can’t control what happens.

Intentions are things like how much money you want to make, how many clients you work with, etc.

You can’t force someone to work with you, that’s a decision that someone else makes.

However, you can do any number of things to encourage those intentions to occur.

Those are goals.

Goals are how many phone calls you make, how many networking events you attend, how many social media posts you put on your business page each week, etc.

YOU can control the outcome of your goals.

Next time you’re doing monthly planning for your business (or anything really) ask:

  1. What do I want to happen? What’s the income, client, or other intention that I’m setting for the month.
  2. What goals will encourage that intention to occur?

And you can create a really fun way to track your progress toward your goals AND intentions if you want.

You can learn more about the Unnamed Productivity Club by clicking here.

Or to have a private goal setting session with me, fill out the application for coaching by clicking here.

PRODUCTIVITY FOR SOLOPRENEURS: INSIGHTS TO GETTING THINGS DONE #105

Your One Year Plan

by EvieBurke, posted in planning

A year ago at this time I was working with my coach to decide what my next career step would be.  One of the most useful things she had me do was think about and write down how I wanted my life to look, but it didn’t start with a year from now.  Nope, it started with 10 years from now, then 5 years, then 1 year.

For me, this was backwards of how I normally planned, but her reason made sense.  When you plan for 10 years out you automatically tap into your intuition.  And when you start with one or five years out then your brain can logically determine where you will probably be, but 10 years out is harder for your brain to predict.

Want to try it?  Think about 10 years from now.  What do you want be feeling?  What do you want to be doing? What do you want to have?  What does a normal weekday look and feel like? And weekend? Then repeat for 5 years out and 1 year out.  Each one is a step to the next one.

I did this exercise and I could answer all of the questions except what I wanted to be doing.  However, answering the questions gave me a good feel for the types of jobs that would be a good fit.  I saw myself working from home, setting my own schedule and making a difference in people’s lives in a way that I got to see and not just imagine.  It didn’t tell me exactly what I would be doing, but it gave me a framework to start with.

Perhaps you’re not trying to figure out your next career step, maybe you’re looking for something else.  About five years ago I would have done this exercise and saw myself in a full time job, but there were other things I was searching for: fulfillment, spiritual connections and meaningful friendships.  I bet if I would have done the exercise then I would have placed myself in a future with those things.  Working through this exercise would have given me a framework to work with and goals to plan for.

Try this exercise for yourself and let me know one goal you want to accomplish in the next week as a result.