Now that you have a strong understanding of how the five-part formula works and understand how the formula can impact all areas of your business, it’s time to put together your road map. You need to set some goals that support the vision you created.

By now you’ve created a really clear vision of where you’re going to take your business, and what it’s going to look like when you get there. You’ve also learned a proven, step-by-step formula for making that vision a reality. You’re getting close to the end of the preparation stage, and closer to diving into lead generation.

But first, you have to map out the route that you’re going to take to achieve your vision, and establish which landmarks will tell you that you’re going the right way. You’ve got to set some goals.

Goals are specific, attainable targets that bring you to your vision. They’re the milestones you need to reach along the way. Goals focus your efforts and intentions, and direct your motivation in a productive direction. Goals outline a plan of action, while dreams are conceptual visions.

Your goals are the milestones you will reach along the way to achieving your vision. They break the process down into smaller pieces: the little successes en route to the big success story.

It can be easy at first to confuse a business vision with a goal. They are both projections of an ideal future situation that you have created based on your dreams. But goals are specific, measurable targets that a person or business sets out to achieve. Goals support the greater aspirations set out in the business vision statement. A vision statement is a broad, inspiring image of the state a business aspires to reach in the future. It describes, without specifying, how aspirations will be achieved, or when.

Studies have shown that only three to five percent of people in the world have written goals—the same three to five percent who have achieved success in business and are earning considerable wealth.

Setting strong goals and committing them to paper is the most effective way to achieve success. Goals will focus your time, energy and the outcomes that are the highest priority. When you prioritize and concentrate your efforts, you avoid being stretched too thin, and produce greater results.

There are many areas in your business that you need to think about when setting goals or targets. Let’s create your unique list and break the process down into a series of small, achievable chunks.

Here are the areas of your business that you’ll need to think about when setting goals:

> Lead Generation (In-store leads, phone leads, return on investment of marketing campaigns)

> Conversion Rates (Individual staff targets, conversion rates, sales targets)

> Transaction Frequency (Customer loyalty, sales targets)

> Average Sale (revenue, add-on targets, sale increases)

> Margins (Product or service evolution, profit, cost reduction)

> Personal

What happens when you achieve your goals?

You should reward yourself and your team each time a target is reached. This will not only train your mind to associate hard work with reward, but will develop loyalty and morale among your employees.

Once you’ve reached a target, ask yourself where the next rung of the ladder is. Can you improve upon the target you just reached? Can you stretch yourself and your team, or challenge yourself more? Get into the habit of setting a new, higher goal each time you achieve an existing goal.

Before you set goals, you need to reframe your thinking so you can support yourself and your efforts. The power of intention—a strong belief in yourself and your ability to be successful—is the keystone to achieving great things. This positive self-talk has a powerful impact on your reality.

When you program a positive stream of subconscious thoughts into your mind, you can control your reality, and ultimately the outcome of your goals.

When you set out to practice positive self-talk techniques like autosuggestion and visualization, you may find that you have a stream of negative thoughts that continually run through your mind. This is okay—your work is to correct each negative statement that flows through your mind.

For example, each time you say to yourself, “I’ll never be able to finish this . . .” or “I’m a terrible public speaker . . .” take a moment to stop and correct the thought. Instead, say “I will do the best I can to finish this project,” or “I will get myself some training and become a better public speaker.”

Positive self-talk means getting rid of the negative thoughts that run through your mind on a regular basis: “That’s impossible,” “Don’t even bother,” “I’m too young,” “I’m too old.” Autosuggestion often involves changing negative beliefs and perceptions that we learned from our parents, friends, partners and experiences.

You can practice autosuggestion anywhere, and at any time. All you need to do is sit quietly, breathe deeply and allow yourself to be open to the thoughts and ideas you are about to tell yourself. Then repeat positive statements about yourself and the future outcome of a goal or intention or event. Some examples of positive autosuggestions include: “I will close the sales presentation and secure this client!” “I am a capable and positive person!” “I deserve the success that I have achieved!” “I am doing my best!”

Believe in and feel what you are telling yourself. Talk to yourself like you would a close friend. You are working to develop a good relationship with yourself.

Repetition is key.

Visualization is another mind tool that successful people use to program their brains for success. It’s simply visualizing in your mind how something is going to happen or play out on a repeated basis. Visualization is commonly used in sports training, and has been proven to improve performance better than just practice alone.

When we visualize an event or situation, or an object or possession, we attract it into our life. Visualization should be done with a relaxed and positive attitude, as well as with an openness and willingness to accept whatever outcome may present itself.

– Sit comfortably in a quiet space: your office, home or in nature.
– Pick a goal or intention to focus on.
– Relax your entire body, and take several long, deep breaths.
– Tune into your inner voice, and connect to the feeling that you truly believe this goal or intention.
– Begin to visualize the achievement of that goal, or realization of your intention.
– Create a clear and detailed mental picture, using all five senses.
– Allow yourself to feel how you believe you will feel when you have achieved your goal, and how much you desire to reach that goal.
– Finish with a positive affirmation about the outcome of your goal or intention.
– Repeat this process at least once per day, for about 10 minutes.

Powerful, positive people have the strength to create powerful, positive change in their lives and the lives of those around them.

You are a powerful, positive person! Successful people have no secrets; they’re just determined, focused people who have set goals and programmed their brain to think positive, and think big.

Spend some time working on your autosuggestion and visualization skills. You might feel a little silly at first, but I promise that these are powerful psychological tools that will retrain your brain for success.

Good luck!