To me, January is all about fresh starts and clean slates and so I always spend this month getting (even more!) organized.

But that’s not all. I also like to start the year with at least three written goals: one for my business, one for my wellness/fitness, and one for my personal development (this year it’s quilting). Setting goals, I’ve learned, is a terrific way to keep focused and produce the results you want as the months roll by.

Here then, are five recommendations for making your business goals a reality in 2014:

1. Use words you can measure. For example, “My business is generating $100,000 or more this year.” By making it measureable you know when you’re on track and when you’re not.

Make the goal feel like a stretch, but not so big that you don’t believe that it’s possible.

Also make sure to write down why you want to meet each goal. For instance, it’s rare that people want money for its own sake. We usually want money for the experiences it provides, whether that means living in a nice house, taking a vacation with the family, or having a secure retirement. Remembering the “why” goes a long way towards reaching your goal.

 2. Map out a path. In the olden days (pre-2000), I used flip-chart paper and post-it notes to flesh out my goals. This year, I tried out a super-cool online tool called MindMeister (affiliate link).

Whether you use post-its or MindMeister, begin by writing your goal in the center of the paper. Next, start brainstorming about the categories of actions you’ll want to take to reach your goal.

For most small businesses, there are some pretty standard categories that you will want to consider: Marketing, Networking, Pricing, Streamlining Operations, and Product Development. Start with those and then add others of your own.

Once you have settled on your categories, write them around your goal with a bunch of connecting lines (see the MindMeister example below, using the goal of “Generate $100,000 or More this Year”).

Now, for each category, list out all the ways you plan to reach your goal. Don’t worry about getting it just right, since this is a map you’ll be working on and improving all year long.

Here’s an example:

3. Track your progress. Now that you have your plan underway, you need to figure out how you’re going to stay on track. Some of your projects will be one-time activities (like mailing a holiday card). Others, like publishing your newsletter, will repeat every month. So think of how you’ll track your progress.

I like to set up an Excel spreadsheet for this purpose and use it to track each goal. For example, once I’ve determine my revenue target for the year, I calculate the monthly sales needed and start tracking. To help me reach my goal of keeping in touch with my network, I look at the number of people on my list and the frequency of contacts per year, calculating a daily goal and tracking that, too.

Breaking up the goals for the year into monthly, weekly and even daily goals makes them more tangible and doable (and less scary).

4. Hold yourself accountable. I’m lucky enough to work with my fabulous coach Phoenix and I report in with her every week. But you can do the same thing with a friend.

Every Sunday evening I review my goals and my map and make a plan for what I want to accomplish during the upcoming week. I send all this info to Phoenix and we talk about it in our sessions.

5. Celebrate success! Take time each month to celebrate your progress and give yourself a treat for sticking with your plan (I like martinis for this purpose).

You don’t have to wait to reach your entire goal for the year either. Thanks to your progress tracking, you can see how you’re doing along the way and celebrate important milestones as you reach them.

The year is just underway and it represents a perfect, fresh start for each of us. Take time now to decide where you intend to go and to set up some simple systems for getting there. Cheers!

I went bowling last weekend with friends at the Rip Van Winkle Bowling Alley in Norwalk, CT.

As usual, it was fabulously fun, with lots of high fives, good laughs and a fair amount of friendly competition. I was wearing my favorite bowling shoes (yes, I have my own bowling shoes!) and having a pretty good time all around.

At one point while waiting for my turn to bowl, I happened to look at the scoreboard and read everyone’s scores. That’s when it struck me: bowling scoring is amazing.

Think about it. If you get 9 out of 10 pins in all 10 frames (90% of the possible pins in the game) your score is 90. If, on the other hand, you get 10 pins (with one throw) in all 10 frames, your score is 300!

It’s an exponentially different outcome with just a 10% difference in play.

In my experience, many of my clients have the same potential regarding their businesses. Just a little increase in the way they “play” can result in a big difference when it comes to results. Here as well, it’s all about leverage – the leverage that a small business can gain by attaining that last 10%.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Here are three suggestions to help you with this process:

1. Get the Big Picture. This is where a lot of small business owners make their first mistake, and it’s a fatal one if you’re going for the last 10%. They jump into the details of a project without understanding how all the pieces fit together. What later happens is that they end up with rework, mistakes or an inability to even identify where the last 10% lives.

When you look at the project as a whole it gives you the chance to design it from 50,000 feet and see it from all points of view. If you make decisions from the middle of the details, the inclination is to work on what’s in front of you, limiting your vision.

2. Dive into the Details. This phase is ripe for scooping up the last 10%. Once you have the big picture, divide the project into high – level categories and list all the steps you’ll need to take to accomplish each part of the project. Be sure to list each action item separately, in the order you’ll be executing them. As you write the steps, take time to think about how one step might influence another.

Track your progress using a project plan. This can be as simple as a handwritten list or an Excel spreadsheet. By listing the actions and checking them off as you go, you’re more likely to get that last 10% every step of the way.

3. Do One Thing at a Time. Multi-tasking might feel as if you’re getting a lot done, but study after study has shown that switching from one thing to the next is inefficient and makes you prone to error.

Instead of switching all over the place from task to task, set aside chunks of time when you can focus and work your way down, from beginning to end, on a particular task. You’ll get more done and feel more satisfied along the way.

Little things can make a big difference – the difference between a good business and a great one. Keep these three simple ideas in mind the next time you go to the office…or go bowling (sorry, you can’t borrow my shoes).