“Visualise success” – Iyia Liu

For serial entrepreneur Iyia Liu (who owns multiple ecommerce businesses), goal setting is all about visualisation.

“Picture the end goal. Why do you want it so badly? It’s so important to visualise and imagine; then the focus and work ethic follows,” says Iyia.

“Imagine what you want, and be confident in knowing how you will work your way towards that goal.”

“Write and share your goals” – Carmen Vicelich

If you were to visit Carmen Vicelich’s home, you’d probably get a pretty good insight into her dreams. The VALOCITY global CEO is a big fan of writing her goals down in as many places as possible – including in chalk on her bathroom mirror!

“I stay focused on my goals by writing them down. I have a notebook which I use each year (the same one), so I get to see what I’ve ticked off. I also write them on my mirror in the bathroom with chalk marker so I see them every morning and night when I brush my teeth,” says Carmen.

She also shares her goals with important people in her life who help hold her accountable.

“It makes the goal sound more real when I say it out loud and repeat it.”

Finally, Carmen breaks down her goals into small, achievable, and measurable actions.

“I review my goals every week. I think for success, your goals need to be measurable and realistic but also big enough to be proud of at the end of the year when you reflect on your success.”

“Start with the vision” – Cecilia Robinson

The clearer you are about where you want to be, the easier you’ll get there, says My Food Bag co-founder, and one half of the Robinson Duo, Cecilia Robinson.

“Staying focused on goals is easier if you have a very clear vision and direction on where you are going. Start with the vision and the direction first and then the goals are easy to break into mini milestones along the way,” she says.

“I also think it’s important to remember that it’s not all about the destination. You have to enjoy the journey, too.”

“Create positive habits” – Richard Conway

Pure SEO CEO Richard Conway credits much of his success to creating positive habits across all areas of his life – from self-care to how he runs his business.

“We are good at creating bad habits, but if we try we can also create good habits,” says Richard.

“For myself, I make sure I lock in a kickboxing session at least three times a week. I have the time blocked out as a regular appointment on my calendar. At first, it was hard to commit (time, energy, etc.) but now it has become something I look forward to.”

At work, two of Richard’s best habits are prioritisation and delegation.

“Every day I look at what I need to accomplish and I choose the hardest/most painful thing I need to do, and I do it first thing. After that, everything else seems much easier.

“I also delegate. They don’t teach you at university the value of delegation. Entrepreneurs who have to have a hand in everything often create a bottleneck in their business, stymie growth, and create internal frustrations.

“So: find people who are better skilled than you at the areas you don’t want to focus on and delegate to them. Ensure you empower them and allow them to make mistakes and make their own decisions. In the end, if they are capable, they will do the job far better than you would.”

“Understand your why” – Lisa King

As founder and CEO of Eat My Lunch, one of New Zealand’s most loved social enterprises, it’s no surprise that Lisa King is all about finding a strong sense of purpose.

“Be clear on why these goals are important to you and why you will commit and get up every day to achieve them. Understanding the why is much more motivating and inspiring than just achieving a number or an outcome,” says Lisa.

Another thing Lisa does is work on her goals every day.

“Take action every day, even if it’s just a small step. Keep moving forward. And share your goals with people around you so they can keep you to account.”

“Work your butt off!” – Rochelle Sheldon

Yup, I’ve included my own advice on this list – because so often we know way more than we give ourselves credit for!

Here is what I posted on my Instagram just last week:

1. Get clear on what you want
2. Get emotionally connected to why it’s important to you
3. Break the goal down into: Goal > Projects > Tasks of the next 90 days
4. Work your ? off to ensure it happens

Because all the motivation in the world won’t help if we don’t put in the work!

Now, what are you waiting for?

 Rochelle Sheldon is the executive coaching CEO of Socialites. She can be reached on +64 21 704 404 or at [email protected].