Goal Setting Foundational to Business Success

By Lori Vargas, MBA, Founder of 360 Wellness Education

Goals! Plan! Success! Anyone can set an ambitious goal, but how many of us end up achieving it? All too often, when we embark on a seemingly smooth course, it turns out to be treacherous and unclimbable. Strategic planning aligned with goals provides guidelines for success.

What Is Goal Setting and Why Is It Important?

To start, what is goal setting? Setting a goal is more than just a wishful decision to “wake up earlier” or “spend more time with loved ones.” Rather, it’s a process that requires two core elements: a goal and a system.

A goal is a desirable future event. It’s something clear, specific, and single-minded. And often includes a period within which you hope to achieve that objective: “My goal is to earn $100,000 over the next 12 months."


A system is a process. It’s the method used to reach a goal, and it’s often recurring. For example: “My system is to expand hours available, offer enhancements to treatments, and strengthen my skills.”

Benefits of Goal Setting

1. Builds motivation

When you set a goal, you declare your intention to achieve something important to you. It takes your dreams and aspirations out of the “hoping” stage and puts them into action. It’s a powerful motivating tool that gives you an endpoint to aspire toward—
positively directing your energy, reinforcing your commitment, and acting as the foundation for your drive. Where focus goes, energy flows!


2. Gives you direction

Goals offer a precise target you can aim toward, allowing you to understand what behaviors are worth spending time on and which ones to avoid. So, instead of aimlessly “going with the flow” and leaving your ambitions up to chance, goals help you establish a productive plan, make educated decisions, and channel your energy in ways that make a positive difference.

3. Promotes discipline and growth

Setting a goal makes you accountable to yourself. A goal gives you a specific time frame to complete a set of tasks, and that deadline creates urgency. It encourages you to follow through with your plans, avoid distractions, and stay locked in,
allowing you to develop a strong sense of discipline, stretch beyond your usual tendencies, and grow on the way to that final target.


4. Provides a measuring tool

Because setting goals involves precise, time-bound commitments, you can measure your progress, understand if your actions are effective, and course-correct when necessary. Measurable results take the element of surprise out of success. If there’s a
problem, you’ll notice the setback early on, allowing you to review your system, make needed adjustments, and reach your goal more productively.


5. Helps maintain momentum

Setting a goal and tracking results along the way will give your aspirations a solid footing. You’ll see an increasingly wider gap between where you started and where you are now. And, as that metaphorical snowball increases in size, your momentum will
also increase. Seeing progress firsthand (rather than merely thinking you’re doing OK) will encourage you to stay on course, keep your energy up, and breakthrough additional short-term milestones.

SMART Goals

Let's face it, reaching your goals is rarely easy. Goals, by nature, are difficult to achieve. And if you're not setting them the right way, they can feel impossible. So how do you set goals that work?

Start with the goal-setting process . The first step is to get your ideas on paper by writing down large-scale goals. During this stage, consider what to achieve, create, have experience, or give. Then pick your top goal from the list. Which objective means the most to you right now? The best goals are self-motivating, so put aside what others want from you and focus on what you want. Once you have that top goal, write it down by setting smaller milestones. By mapping out those checkpoints, your goal will
feel more realistic. Next, write out the steps to reach each of those smaller milestones. This is your chance to come up with specific play-by-play directions. Finally, schedule ongoing process reviews. Goal setting is an ongoing activity. To stay on track, you'll need to continually review your process, notice what's working and what isn't and adjust as needed.

The goal-setting method you use matters. To succeed, follow a process and align your goals with the SMART acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Let’s break that down:

• Specific goals are well-defined. They offer sufficient direction as to where exactly you want to go, the more details the better.

• Measurable goals are ones that you can track. They use quantifiable benchmarks, such as dates and amounts. Instead of “I want to start meditating.” They say, “I want to meditate for 15 minutes every day.”

• Attainable goals are ones you can realistically achieve. They're challenging but not impossible. They answer yes to questions such as “Do I have enough resources, time, and funds to make this happen?” Relevant goals mean something to you. They're relevant to your ambitions, and that makes them worthwhile.

• Time-bound goals have a deadline. They create internal pressure by following a strict timeframe and target due date.

Not all goals are created equal. The more thought and time you put into setting your goals, the more likely you’ll follow through with them later. So, if you have an ambition, take the time to turn it into a goal. Follow that five-step process and boost your chances of success by keeping that goal smart. Soon, those sky-high ambitions won't seem out of reach.

Remember the value. If you have an aspiration, don’t settle on getting around to it eventually. Instead, remember the value of setting goals, and take the time to think about how you can create your system. Take the first step, and the others will soon follow.

About the Author

Lori Vargas, founder of 360 Wellness Education, has over 20 years in the spa industry as a founder of multiple spas, a massage school, and as a spa consultant. She also has 14 years of experience guiding Fortune 500 Companies with corporate strategies and business development. Lori holds a CPA and MBA from the University of Chicago.

To complement her online 360 Wellness Education courses, Lori has created an educational community focused on connections and growth through 360 Wellness Education CORE Membership. This membership provides easy access to affordable on-demand advanced education, live webinars (sip & learn style), Facebook private group, newsletters, and live events. Follow on Instagram at @360WellnessEducation.


In addition to CORE Membership and her other online courses, Lori offers 360 Business Workshops. This
live webinar series focuses on business start-up and development, sharing valuable insight, advice, and
templates to jumpstart business growth and maximize success.

Universal Companies is proud to have a team of experienced spa advisors on staff and welcomes you to consult with our professionals about spa products and supplies, including ingredients, equipment, and retail. Dedicated to the success of spa professionals everywhere, we're grateful to be recognized with the American Spa Magazine Professional's Choice Award, Favorite Distributor of the Year for many consecutive years. (Thank you!)

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