Go For the Goal | NAWBO

As woman entrepreneurs, we all want business success—however we define it. To reach that next place, though, we have to know where we are headed. That’s where goal-setting comes in, and there’s no better time than the end of one year and start of another. It’s like a blank page just waiting to be filled. So where do you begin?

Reflect on Where You’ve Been

For starters, reflect over all the areas of your life and business. In this digital world we’re in, we are constantly receiving notifications and everything seems like a priority at all times. It’s challenging to find the space and mindset to reflect, but it’s so important. Ask yourself things like:

  • What have I accomplished this year?
  • What went well and what didn’t?
  • How have my accomplishments or goals aligned with my business mission and values?
  • How did my spending have a direct impact on my business goals?
  • How did I implement work-life balance this year?
  • Are there any negative feelings I am harboring that I need to release?
  • What am I scared of changing or implementing in my business?
  • What are my priorities for next year?
  • Where do I want to go?
  • Who can I seek out for support on implementing my plan?
  • What resources can I find within NAWBO?

Write Them Down, and Be SMART

Next, write down your goals. There’s something about putting goals on paper that makes them real and creates motivation and excitement to take action. As you write down your goals for 2023, ask yourself, are they:

  • Specific?
  • Measurable?
  • Achievable?
  • Relevant?
  • Time-Bound?

In other words, are they SMART? Post your goals where you can see them—maybe in a paper journal, on a vision board on your wall or on a digital “post-it” on your computer desktop. Tell others, especially other women business owners, so they can inspire and support you and hold you accountable. Talk about not only your goals, but also how you’ll reach them.

Remember, Give Yourself Grace

As you lean into 2023 and begin working toward your new goals, remember to be flexible and to give yourself grace. Things happen in life and business and sometimes our goals or the timeline to reach them changes. Sometimes we make mistakes or have setbacks that are out of our control and we have to regroup. It’s okay to revise existing goals or come up with new ones.

Lastly, is one of your goals to become an even better leader? I hope you’ll join me in Long Beach, California, on February 6-7 at NAWBO’s 2023 Leadership Academy. We’re creating leaders for a world of change with a focus on kindness and empathy. It’s the perfect place to get inspired and talk about your goals with a group of women business owners who make it their mission to support other women business owners.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!


—Karen Bennetts
  2022-2023 NAWBO National Board Chair

Related Posts

Relationships: They’re Meant to Be...
September 20, 2023

As women, one of the things we’re known to be excellent at is building relationships. But how about...

Passion + Sustained Perseverance = Grit
August 16, 2023

When we set out to become women business owners, we were likely attracted by the idea of pursuing...

2023-2024 NAWBO National Editorial...
July 20, 2023

2023-2024 NAWBO National Editorial Calendar For questions or submissions, please e-mail ...

Visibility
July 19, 2023

The definition of “visible” is to be easily seen and understood. As women business owners, we all...

Mid-Year Check
June 19, 2023

We’re halfway through the year, and that means we’ve been plugging away for months now to move the...

Global Minded
May 17, 2023

As women business owners, we are continually shaped by—and shape—the world around us. To build...

Cheryl Inokon Is Helping Mission-Driven...
April 26, 2023

  How do you define success? To me, success is synonymous with freedom. It means having the...

Smooth Stepping
April 19, 2023

As women business owners, there are so many reasons why we’d have to step away from our businesses...

Digital Transformation
March 15, 2023

Business success is about understanding and meeting or, better yet, exceeding customer needs. But...

Leadership Matters
February 15, 2023

Finish this sentence: A leader is… Perhaps phrases like “a good listener”, “a mentor”, “someone...

3 Tax Credits You Can Use to Grow Your...
January 18, 2023

If you’re in the process of growing your business, these three types of business tax credits can...

Recession Proof
January 18, 2023

We’ve all been striving to put the pandemic far behind us. However, many of us continue to feel the...

Power Your Dream
November 16, 2022

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt As a...

Ready, Set, Sell!
October 19, 2022

Every woman business owner has a product or service that they’re responsible for selling. But are...

On the Money
September 21, 2022

If women business owners had the ability to improve one thing to open doors of opportunity for the...

Defining DEI&B
August 17, 2022

Building an inclusive culture isn’t just the right thing to do; it makes good business sense....

Seat at the Table
July 20, 2022

The word “advocacy” might sound overwhelming at first to a woman business owner who has never...

NAWBO Upcoming Events Blog
June 17, 2022

By Rosaria Cain NAWBO President   What’s Next? Beginning in July, our President-Elect Ania...

Culture Is Queen
June 15, 2022

Here at NAWBO, culture is vital. Everything we do, from our mission and values, to our goals and...

Nourish to Flourish
May 18, 2022

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and if any silver linings have come out of a prolonged...