‘I am in my late thirties. My business is doing reasonably well, but I am still trying to figure out where I am now. I am not doing well, and something is lacking! I am hardly able to find it out. My soul doesn’t resonate with what I am currently doing. The money is there, but I should be doing it differently. What I currently do is more like a rat race than what I wanted. I am confused about what to do next, and it bothers me, said a woman entrepreneur from Jaffna. She is doing reasonably well in her business! Many of us might resonate with her words. The money is right; logically, everything is fine with us, but what if something still needs to be added? What if we get missed in the middle? What if our goals seem self-depriving, even though we know that our goals are logically correct?
Many entrepreneurs get stuck at this exhausting dilemmatic point! Goals that don’t resonate with the heart don’t bring sustainable yields. While the material yields are there, we might still find connecting emotionally with our goals challenging. Let’s discuss this in conjunction with the perspectives of micro-entrepreneurs.
Whether running a micro-business or a freelancer, setting goals to determine where you want to be is essential. Micro-business owners often get caught up with external circumstances. Many micro-businesses operate with limited resources and need proper support systems. On the other hand, freelancers need help finding time to scale their businesses. Often, they need help with unrealistic deadlines and exhausting work timetables.
Such difficulties make it difficult for micro-business owners and freelancers to set goals. Many perceive that getting projects and earning money on the go is sufficient. However, setting goals that work and don’t emotionally drain you is essential. Goals don’t just specify where we aim to go; they also provide energy to get things done. However, at times, it feels like goals are hard to achieve, and they demotivate individuals rather than motivate them.
Such demotivation arises from our lack of genuine connection with our goals. We don’t truly feel connected to them, and it is hard for our minds to believe in the goal. Hence, it is vital to set goals that seem realistic. That is where SMART goals come into play. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-oriented goals.
Some examples of SMART goals are as follows.
- Attract 100 new subscribers to my online business within a month.
- Generate 30% recurring sales within a month.
Once our goals become specific and realistic, they become achievable. Another perspective is to find real motives. Many businesses get caught up in the idea of monetization. Regarding their goals, the main motive seems to be ‘money-making’. To add extra spice, there needs to be an intrinsic motive associated with the goals.
Even major theoretical propositions, such as goal-setting theory, advocate the importance of finding intrinsic motivation. As to goal-setting theory, a goal without intrinsic motivation becomes meaningless. As human beings, we tend to find meanings everywhere. It becomes pointless if our goals have an inherent purpose.
This intrinsic meaning creation goes further with emotionalizing the goals. Goals without meaning and emotions become just tasks and task milestones—they are boring! Here is an example of how to spice up your goals with emotions!
‘My goal is to generate 1 million in revenue from my exports. My products are organic and unique. I come from a limited educational background and have always dreamt of achieving success. Gaining this much exposure in the international markets means a lot of recognition to my family and me.
Once you find real intrinsic motives behind your intense desires, they become goals! It is also easy to visualize the results and convince our subconscious that they are possible to achieve. This process will lead you to the necessary actions to achieve the goal. Creating vision boards is also a viable approach to spice up your goal!
You might also be interested in reading our e-book, ‘Ignite the Leader Within You’. This mini e-book speaks volumes about inner strength and how the inner leader can be ignited. The articulations in the e-book can provide a great boost of motivation to become the best versions of yourself and set goals that bring both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
