How committed are you to achieving your personal and professional goals?

I am a really goal-oriented person.

 Every year I create a vision board, and I encourage all of my clients to do the same. This is a great way to keep your eye on the prize - to keep your goals in mind, to remind yourself why you’re getting up every morning.

 This is especially important when you’re running your own business.

 If you want to create a successful business that works for you, rather than the other way around, you need to have a vision for your life, and use that to create goals for the business. This will then help you to prioritise what’s important each day.

Let me tell you a story…

I recently paid a financial advisor over a grand to tell me how much money I needed to buy the house of my dreams with stables.

Yes, you read that correctly.

 I’m not telling you this to be flashy. My boyfriend thinks I’m completely ridiculous - and you might too. But let me explain…

 I needed help with boring adult stuff like pensions, savings and investments. So, I hired a financial advisor to help with that.

 But then he started asking me questions about what I wanted from life. So, of-course I got really excited and showed him my vision board, explaining all of my goals and dreams.

 He asked me, What’s your ultimate dream?

 I usually keep this one to myself, because it can feel a bit silly to say it out loud. But I told him…

I want a Georgian property with a few acres of land and some stables.

I’m a real geek when it comes to period properties. I’ve watched Downton Abbey so many times I’ve lost track. This is the sort of thing that makes my heart sing. And It’s just something that I really, really want.

 So, although I started out just looking for boring financial advice, I agreed to work with the financial advisor more ‘holistically’ let’s say, to figure out a plan and how I could potentially reach my goals.

 My boyfriend asked me if I felt I’d got good value for investment.

 For a brief moment, I second guessed myself. Was it really worth that much money? Because it’s all a bit ‘la la’ land, isn’t it?!

After thinking about it though, I realised that what this person gave me is clarity and direction.

I know the steps to my ultimate goal.

 I know that I need £500k for a deposit, and £5k a month to pay the mortgage - and at this rate, probably £5k a month to pay the heating bill too!

 I know where I’m going, and I know what I need to do to get there.

 Do I still have one foot in the real world? Yes, of course. I know this dream might never come true. And it could have all been a waste of money.

 But I am crystal clear on what I want and what my ultimate dream is. And I now feel more committed to this, now that I have the knowledge of how I might be able to get there someday.

Why am I telling you this?

Because everyone has dreams.

You might not be interested in the idea of a Georgian property with land and stables. But I bet there is something you daydream about having one day.

 A luxury holiday.

A new car.

A lodge in the mountains.

Your own swimming pool.

We seem to live in this culture where it’s not cool to say your dreams out loud. Especially in the UK.

 It can feel silly to tell people you hope to one day live in the countryside, in a beautiful house with a stables - or whatever your dream is. And people can ridicule us for these things…

BUT anything is possible…especially if you are committed to making it happen, or making a version of it happen

 I believe that one day I will be in my beautiful, Georgian home drinking a coffee with my boyfriend before we go out to ride our horses.

We might end up in a smaller home, one that’s Victorian rather than Georgian and we might have less land. But I am aiming big. And by doing so, you’re more likely to achieve a version of what it is that you really want from life.

How does this apply to you and your business?

So many HR consultants I speak to want to grow their business. They want more recurring revenue to make their life less stressful and more stable. They want to take a 3 day weekend and they want to spend more quality time with their family.

But they’re not prioritising this. Instead, they’re prioritising project client work.

 Yes, I know this pays the bills. But when you spend all of your time and energy doing it, it leaves nothing left for you. And your future. Which is why I feel this is the wrong mindset to have.

If you want to achieve your personal and professional goals, you need to be clear with what they are. And you need to be committed to making them happen.

I’m not saying you should go out and spend silly amounts with a financial advisor. But you can invest in other ways. You just need to figure out what you need to invest in right now to help you achieve your long term dreams.