Goal Setting For Success on the Internet

How many times have we all heard about the importance of
setting goals to be successful at anything?

This sentiment is just as important when starting and growing
your internet business. Without setting goals you are susceptible
to a number of pitfalls facing any business or personal endeavour.

These pitfalls include:-

Procrastination

Lack of direction

Self doubt

Lack of focus and easy of distraction from tasks

Inability to make a decision when faced with a number of options.

To have the best chance of success your goals should have the
following S.M.A.R.T characteristics:-

Your goals should be

Specific - WRITTEN either on paper or as an electronic document
is best.

Measurable - There is no use in setting a goal which is not
measurable as you have no criteria to determine success
or failure.

Attainable / realistic - If you set a goal which you don’t
believe is achievable you will not be motivated to
complete the necessary tasks.

Realistic - you must have access to the necessary resources
and knowledge and time required to produce the results.

Time Based - You must allow enough time to achieve your goal
and have a specific deadline. A lack of a deadline
(especially in Internet Marketing) generally leads to
procrastination and lack of direction.

Your goals should be a mixture of short term (one to two years)
and long term (two plus years). It is generally recommended
that you have at least one of each at any given time. The short
term goals should be aligned with your long term goals so that
attainment of one does not impair your ability to achieve the other.

People are often wary of setting long term goals because changing
circumstances often prevent or accelerate attainment of goals.
That’s OK. Goals can be changed where necessary but don’t fall
into the trap of constant goal changing and achieving NOTHING!!!

YOU are the only one to determine how many goals you can set and
achieve at any one time. If you’re like me, you don’t have a lot
of spare time to work on too many different goals at once. I
suggest you only ever work on between 5 to 10 goals and try to
stagger the completiondates so you have a realistic chance of
making your goals.

To anyone just getting started in making money on the internet I
suggest you make a goal to select one or two projects and apply
you energy to making them work for you before deciding if you
should continue to do so. A common trap for newbies is to
flit between numerous plans before you give it a chance to succeed.
Finding a trusted mentor who has achieved the goal you wish to
achive on the internet is the easiest way to plan for and stay
on track for success.

When setting goals for success on the internet you need to budget
both your time AND money.

If you have a lot of spare time or are prepared for a lot of
late nights you will be able to plan for marketing methods
which are free or low cost but which will takemore effort to
implement.

If you can't spend as much time as required for the free
marketing methods, there are numerous time saving marketing
methods which are available at a cost. Be careful to put a
realistic budget in place and to monitor your expenditure
closely. If you don't do this you can rapidly amass a huge debt.
************************************************************

For a more comprehensive coverage of goal setting and goal
attainment I suggest you get a copy of "Think And Grow Rich"
by Nepoleon Hill and "Unlimited Power" by Anthony Robins.

Persistence is the key to success, so take as much time as
you need to develop S.M.A.R.T goals and remember to monitor
and adjust where necessary.

Happy Goal setting.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

About the Author: Cameron Johnson is the owner of a number of Web Sites aimed at helping people find profitable money making opportinities on the Internet. To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.NetCashMadeEasy.com

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