When Setting Business Goals, Go for Gold

“To uncover your true potential, you must first find your own limits, and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” -  Picabo Street, gold-medal skier

The Winter Olympic Games open February 9, and whether you’re a super fan or casual observer of sports, the competition and the athletes’ personal stories make for some great TV watching.

Everyone can find inspiration in the victories celebrated and the defeats endured by these elite athletes. When it comes to setting business goals, there are a few things we can learn from the world’s best in their fields:

1. Anything worthwhile takes dedicated, sustained effort. Taking your business to the next level probably involves learning something new or perfecting something you’re currently doing. Only three athletes or teams make it to the podium. The rest of the field has put in countless hours of training, too, rehabbing painful injuries and passing up participation in regular life events that the rest of us can take for granted. Yet they persist.
2. Some things are out of your control. Focus on your own business goals, and keep your competitors in your sights - whether you’re out front or they are. Business veterans who keep their eye on the prize can still be passed by energetic, motivated upstarts. Continue to do what you do best.
3. Play fair. Cutting corners to save time or money, or compromising your values to gain an edge can put you out of the game entirely. Ask an Olympian who’s been barred from competition or worse, stripped of their medal, and certainly they’d make different choices given a second chance.
4. Small and unexpected wins are just as sweet. Celebrate the moments along the way by setting intermediate goals. Use these steps as motivation to maintain your forward progress toward your big win.
5. Don’t go it alone. Family, friends, fans, coaches, trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, physicians and more all serve as a necessary support system for a high-performance athlete. A top-performing business owner has a strong network of support, too. We see it every day in franchising. Make sure you’re leaning on your team when you need to and leading when you have to.

No one may ever put medals around our necks for our efforts, but we can all be winners!

I’d love to hear how you motivate yourself and inspire your team. Drop me a note at kevinc@alliancefranchisebrands.com.