Being SMART about our Independent Contracting Goals

“Winners are so strange that we admire them deeply.  With very few exceptions, winners have written goals.  It is almost impossible to accomplish something big without a written blueprint.” –Dave Ramsey

Goals give us hope for our bright dreams, insight for our purposeful vision, and a means for achieving life balance.  When we take time to make the most of our goals, we are setting ourselves up for amazing success.  In order to generate great yet achievable goals, independent contracting companies must always be S.M.A.R.T.:

S for Specific- If we aren’t specific about the goals and end-results that we want to achieve then we are aiming for a “moving target” or possibly for a target that doesn’t exist at all! When HVAC, plumbing, and electrical service companies set specific goals, they obtain power over their ambitions because they begin to break the main goals down into smaller and more manageable objectives.  By breaking our goals down into smaller tasks, we can “divide and conqueror” our high ambitions.  When we are specific in what we want to achieve, we give ourselves purpose, direction, and power.

M for Measurable- In order for an independent contracting team to determine if a goal has been accomplished or if the objectives have been achieved, the team has to have to have a means to measure success.  This could be setting a timeframe, deadline, quota, or achievement percentage.  When we take steps to make our goals and objectives measureable and operational, we give ourselves clearer guidelines as well as a sharper aim at a defined target.

A for Action- Our goals must involve action that is directed at success and accomplishment.  If we simply keep our goals locked up in our minds then that is as far as they will ever go.  However, if we put time and effort into writing our goals down, breaking them apart into smaller objectives, and then creating an action plan to achieve our goals; then we are taking the first vital strides towards making our dreams a reality.

R for Realistic- While no one should put limits on what they are capable of working to achieve, we should set aside time to evaluate and determine if our goals are truly realistic and feasible.  Some goals, such as growing a business from a 1 million dollar company to a 5 million dollar company, cannot be achieved in the short run but over a longer period of time it can be accomplished with hard work and determination.  When we are realistic about our goals and objectives, it allows us to feel greater satisfaction when we gradually achieve each component of our goal.

T is for Time bound-   Setting definite start and end times for completing our goals and objectives allows us to get motivated; especially when we combine our timeframe of achievement with our measurement of success.  When we don’t give ourselves a timeframe for accomplishment, we tend to lose sight of our main priorities and find other things to fill our precious time.  Placing our goals strategically into allotted sets of time allows us to achieve greater productivity while also working towards a purposeful, goal-oriented vision.

We all need goals in every area of our life: career, family, financial, spiritual, and physical.  Simply writing down your individual objectives for each day that work to make-up a larger goal, can give you a purpose-driven jumpstart to the day as well as help you maintain a sharper focus.  I encourage you to start writing down your goals and breaking them down into manageable objectives.  You will be amazed at what you can accomplish as well as how your productivity will increase. I, as well as, the entire Service Excellence Training team would love to work with you as you persevere to accomplish your company’s S.M.A.R.T. goals. Here at Service Excellence Training, we turn learning into earning!

-Resource curated by Whitney Stewart of Service Excellence Training.