It seems you can’t go anywhere without someone asking you what your goals are! What’s up with that? You want to buy life insurance…what are your goals for the future? You want a financial plan… what are your goals? You say you want to sell your business, what are your goals and strategy for the future?  It’s gotten so bad that I turned on the TV, and on the way to another channel, I listened to a 350 lb. guy on a show called the “biggest losers” say his goal was to have a six pack.

I don’t know about you, but I think a big part of his plan ought to be staying away from those 6 packs! Whether we think he can do it or not, it should be obvious to most that by committing to a goal and by adopting a disciplined mindset, with the willingness to work hard… it is achievable. In that regard, he is exhibiting some of the same characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.

What do you think? In the book “The Entrepreneurial Mindset,” authors Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan offer characteristics that are associated with successful entrepreneur behavior. How many of these traits listed below do you possess?

• Successful entrepreneurs are action oriented and they also simplify.
• They possess superior conceptual abilities. This helps them identify relationships in complex situations and to quickly identify problems and solutions.
• Passionately seek new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are relentless in pursuing their goals and are supremely confident in their ability to achieve those goals.
• They pursue opportunities with enormous discipline. Successful entrepreneurs have tremendous discipline when it comes to evaluating opportunities and ideas. They have a comprehensive awareness of the overall situation and fully understand the ramifications involved in each decision they make.
• Pursue only the very best opportunities and avoid exhausting themselves and their organization by chasing after every option. By focusing on the vision and organizational goals, successful entrepreneurs limit their exploration of ideas to only those that are in concert with the company’s mission.

Are you a goal setter? Without goals our work, passion and energy are more often like a flash of lightning – capable of making a short and fleeting impact. But by adopting the discipline of goal setting, we can reduce the amount of time and energy we squander on the way to achieving the outcomes that are most important to us. So, if you do get a chance to meet that 350 lb. entrepreneur with a goal, ask yourself who is better off….

We are Driving IR, a consulting and coaching company and we welcome your input and comments….