Carly Ries
"A goal properly set is halfway reached." — Zig Ziglar
As a kid I thought goal setting was pointless (busywork teachers assigned to fill time). Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong.
If you want to get genuinely good at something, and as a solopreneur, that "something" is building a business that supports your life, you have to understand how to set goals properly in order to reach them.
Goal setting matters because it gives you a plan, keeps you motivated, and lets you track progress so you actually know whether your business is moving where you want it to go. That's especially important when you're the founder, the delivery team, and the marketing department all at once, and no one else is setting direction for you.
When I say "proper goal setting," I mean there really are right and wrong ways to do it. One well-known method is setting SMART goals (the first five steps below).
So if there's something you want your business or your life to achieve and you need help getting there, start here.
Actionable Steps
Make Your Goals Specific (S)
Your goals must be clear and well-defined; no ambiguity. "Grow my business" isn't a goal. "Add three retainer clients at $2K/month by June" is. A stranger reading it should know exactly what you're after.
Decide How to Measure (M) Your Goals
If you wrote it without a way to measure it, rewrite it. Benchmarks and metrics (revenue, number of clients, hours reclaimed, email subscribers) let you track progress, stay motivated, and notice early when something needs to change.
Confirm Your Goals Are Achievable (A)
Set ambitious goals, absolutely. But be honest about what's actually reachable given your current capacity, cash flow, and the fact that there's only one of you. A goal that ignores your real constraints just sets you up to feel behind.
Confirm Your Goals Are Relevant (R)
Why does this goal matter to you? For life-first solopreneurs, the "why" is usually bigger than money (more freedom, more time, less stress, work you're proud of). Knowing your why keeps you going when the work gets hard.
Ensure Your Goals Are Time-Bound (T)
Give every goal a deadline. Without one, it lingers forever, or never happens. When you're your own boss, a real timeline is what keeps a goal from quietly sliding to "someday."
Focus on a Few Goals at a Time
Where you can, focus on one goal at a time and give it your full attention. You'll have plenty you want to accomplish; prioritize them and tackle them one by one. You'll get far better results than scattering yourself across ten things at once.
Write Your Goals Down
I know, you've got it all clear in your head. But your head is a busy, distracted place. Write your goals down and keep them somewhere you'll see often (a whiteboard, a pinned note, your project dashboard). On foggy days, they'll keep you pointed in the right direction.
Be Optimistic
Chasing goals can feel daunting, especially when the whole business rests on you. A positive attitude genuinely makes the process easier and more enjoyable, and as a solopreneur, your mindset is a business asset.
Prepare for Obstacles
Stay optimistic, but stay realistic too. Slow months, a client who ghosts, a tech headache...obstacles will show up. Decide in advance how you'll handle the distractions and get refocused when you drift.
Identify All Actions Needed to Achieve Your Goals
Once the goal is defined, build the plan and get granular. Break it into subtasks so you have mini-milestones and small wins along the way (the momentum that keeps a company of one moving).
Need help sticking to your goals? Join LifeStarr Intro and gain access to a community of life-first solopreneurs who will help keep you on track.