Shades of Success, Inc.

Managing Change: Break Big Goals into Small Steps

As an entrepreneur and a new a mom, I constantly find myself making comparisons between these two worlds.  In a start-up, a business plan charters the course of action.  Cash flow, market share and revenues projections are the most commonly used metrics to set long-term goals.

With parenting, the "plan" is in our heads. We focus our efforts in raising a healthy, happy and smart child.  Metrics are less quantifiable although we constantly compare our child's development to other children and to expert opinions.

One way to control future outcomes--in business, parenting or any other venture--is through long-term goals. 

Lesson No. 4:   Translate long-term goals into mini goals

Breaking long-term goals into small, daily steps allows you to:

• Gain a sense of accomplishment every day, which will keep you motivated.
• Monitor progress on a weekly basis and tweak as necessary.
• Rid yourself of the feeling of overwhelm associated with achieving a significant milestone.
• Focus on completing the mini-goal at hand.  Nothing else.  A collection of mini-goals--similar to Lego pieces--will become your long-term goal.

Managing Change: Develop Flexibility Muscles

I consider flexibility a key ingredient to reach any goal. Why? Because although we might have a clear goal in mind, how we accomplish this goal may be subject to change along the way.

In an environment of continuous change, three things can happen:  We can react to change;  we can ignore change; or we can anticipate change.  Reacting to change is constantly playing catch up.  Not the most assertive position to be in. Ignoring --or denying--change will not stop change from happening.  The most effective way to manage change is to anticipate and expect change as part of the goal-reaching process.

Lesson No. 3:  Reprioritize and restructure when necessary

Being able to reevaluate and reassign priorities in the process of reaching a goal allows us to:

• Develop the ability to make quick decisions
• Become an out-of-the-box thinker
• Become skillful at scenario planning
• Become a self-assured risk taker

Similar to the start of a weight training program, you can develop flexibility muscles by introducing small amounts of change into your daily life. Find a new route to get home or a different approach to running a brainstorm session. The more comfortable you become with change the sooner it will become an ally not an adversary.