I often talk about how important creating a vision of your company’s future is to achieving your long term goals. But as motivating and inspiring as big picture thinking can be, the reality is that it can also be a bit overwhelming when you realize how much work it can be to achieve that long term vision. In fact, sometimes the worry around how to get there can cause unwanted side effects – by causing us to freeze or over-react.
As a result, some small business owners find themselves taking no action at all, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, push themselves to the brink of burnout by trying to accomplish everything overnight.
If instead of feeling “here’s where I want my business to go” you worry about “how the heck am I ever going to get there?”, it is sometimes useful to just focus on taking small, bite sized, steps. Break a big goal down into the smallest possible increments, be realistic about what can be accomplished in the short term and take consistent action over time. It’s a surer way to get there and will help maintain your sanity.
Susan Martin, Strategic Planning
