Goals are like stepping-stones to your dreams. But, goals are more specific, defined and measurable than a dream. “Goals help turn the impossible into the possible,” says Bev Bachel, president, Idea Girls, a Minneapolis communications firm and a community of women creatively pursuing their dreams. “Goal setting breaks down seemingly out-of-reach dreams into small, manageable, practical steps,” Bachel says.

As 2005 winds down and 2006 lies ahead, now is the time to set your goals for the new year.

Steppingstones To Dreams

Determine what you are passionate about, advises Paul Esch, president, Breakthrough Business Success, Inc., a Twin Cities business development-consulting firm. “Decide what you want with your heart. Then, let your mind figure out how to get it. Next, focus on your commitment to your goals, not the obstacles.”

Bachel agrees. “Your goals are the “how to” for reaching your dreams; they’re the steppingstones that will take you from where you are today to the future you desire. Goals also help stretch your comfort zone, boost your confidence, improve your outlook on life and help you feel more in control,” she says.

Dream Big

“Contrary to what many people think, goal setting is a skill that can be learned, just like learning to play an instrument or drive a car,” explains Bachel, who has written a book and several articles on goal-setting.

“It’s important to dream big. Whatever you think you can sell, add two zeros. Whenever you submit a proposal, add two zeros,” advises Bachel. “Even if you don’t get exactly what you’re asking for, it’s likely you’ll get more than you started out with.”

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

To succeed, goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable,attainable, realistic and tangible), according to sales guru Paul J. Meyer.

• Specific goals have a greater change of being accomplished than general goals.

• Measurable goals establish criteria for measuring your progress.

• Attainable goals are ones that are most important to you.

• Realistic goals represent an objective you are willing and able to work toward.

• Tangible goals are those you can experience with one of your senses.

Performance Vs. Activity Goals

Determine the activity goal (phone calls, appointments, presentations) that needs to be accomplished to reach the sales performance goal, advises Esch. “To do this, work back from your performance goal. For example, if your performance goal is $10,000 per month and the average sale is $2,000, then you must make five sales transactions a month to reach your sales goal. If you know that it takes ten phone calls to set one appointment, then you need to make 75 calls a week to get six appointments to make 1.5 sales transactions per week.”

Words Of Wisdom

“Life is a continuous process of recognizing your dreams, setting goals that can help make your dreams real and then taking action every day to get there. There’s never any moment of being ‘finished’, because we’re always growing and changing, dreaming new dreams and setting new goals,” says Bachel.

Barbara K. Mednick is a Twin Cities marketing PR/communications consultant and freelance writer.

This article was published in the November 6th, 2005 issue of Star Tribune Jobs and is reprinted here with the permission of the Star Tribune Sales and Marketing Division, Minneapolis, MN. Articles on career development are published each Sunday in the Star Tribune Jobs section.