Goal Setting for Consultants: 5-Step Checklist To Achieve Your Goals

Let’s discuss goal setting for consultants — and how to actually acheive the goals you set. 

As an ambitious consultant, you might think that achieving your goals is about choosing your target, and simply staying the course

But after running a consulting business for many years — and coaching many other consultants — I’ve discovered that it’s not that simple.

In this article, I’ll help you set and achieve goals for your consulting business that you’ve never thought possible.

It’s your overall goal-setting process that determines your results

The Truth About Goal Setting For Consultants

Would you be surprised if I told you that out of the 8 billion people in the world, less than 3% set goals? And of that 3%, only 8% achieve their goal?

Well, that’s the case. A whopping 92% of would-be goal-slayers miss their target — or, they don’t even take their shot.

In a world where we have access to more knowledge than ever, how’s that possible? Isn’t goal setting supposed to be simple? You just pick a goal and start working…right?

Consultant, here’s what many of you are missing: the issue isn’t goal setting. That part is simple.

The issue is what happens after you set your goal: the goal “planning” and goal “slaying” process.

Often, us consulting business owners choose goals that are outside of…

• Our control
• Our values
• Our abilities

We end up setting goals that are…

• Unattainable
• Unrealistic
• Opposed to our life goals

As an entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience, I’ve made the same mistakes as you.

I’ve chased the shiny object. I’ve been overly ambitious. I’ve forgotten about the number of hours there were in a week. I’ve said yes to things that were supposed to be the “right move” without checking if it was in alignment with my personal values.

After plenty of trial and error, I’ve figured out what works for setting — and achieving — goals.

While you’re in the trenches building your consulting business, you don’t always know where you’re headed.

It’s not the goals you set that determine your success.

Instead, it’s your overall goal-setting process that determines your results.

It’s your goal-setting process and plan that gets you from here to where you want to go. It’s this process that will turn your vision into action; your dreams into reality.

Where To Start With Goals?

How do you set goals as a consultant that are in alignment with both you as a person, and you as a business?

You’ve probably heard of “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs). I’m all for dreaming big and chasing that big win.

But I also understand the psychology: humans are wired to want to win soon. We’re not very motivated with goals that are too far off in the distance.

The first part of goal setting for consultants is to work backward.

1. First, what’s your BIG dream that you’d like to achieve in 3-5 years? Identify the larger goal that fits with your long-term vision.

Example: “In 3 years, I want to be earning $500K in profit per year for my consulting business.”

2. Next, break your goal down into smaller milestone goals along the way. What would you need to achieve in the next 12 months to bring you closer to your bigger goal?

Example: “In the next twelve months, I want to win 1 extra client per month on a $25K engagement.”

3. Lastly, how badly do you want it? Are you willing to go the extra mile to make your goal happen? From 1 to 10, how important is it to you? If you are below a 7, chunk that goal down: your desire should be at least an 8 out of 10. That’s when you know you have enough fuel on the fire to achieve your big goal.

Example: “I’m a 9/10 in terms of my desire to achieve this goal. I think about it daily, and will do the hard work to make it happen.”

Humans are wired to want to win soon. We’re not very motivated with goals that are too far off in the distance.

Next, we’ll bulletproof your goal using the SMART test.

How To Set SMART Consulting Goals

Now that you have your goal, let’s ensure it passes the SMART test.

Here are 5 questions about your goal. If you answer YES to all of them, you’re giving yourself the highest chance to achieve it.

1. Is it SPECIFIC?

Consultants often struggle to set goals that are specific and exciting at the same time.

Imagine me saying that my goal was to “grow my consulting business revenue” this year.

Sure, it sounds positive…but is it a clear goal?

If I ended up growing my company by an additional one-thousand dollars, is that sufficient growth?

Is that what I meant by “growing my revenue”?

Probably not!

SMART goals are specific: they require you to be precise about where you want to be.

For example: “In the next twelve months, I am going to grow my consulting business by 25% in revenue.”

Make sure your goals are specific. Do not leave them foggy or vague.

2. Is it MEASURABLE?

Another reason consultants struggle with goal-setting is measuring that success.

Too often, we wait until the end to measure our results — only to find out that we missed the mark.

Success in goal-slaying isn’t found at the end, it’s found on the path toward it.

Your path toward a goal will change with new knowledge; through split testing, trial and error, etc.

The path is “how” you’ll accomplish the goal. And you need to be willing to iterate and tweak your actions as new information reveals itself to you.

For example: “I will reach out to 5 potential clients per day.”

Make sure your goals are measurable. That means they are quantitative.

3. Is it ATTAINABLE?

For a goal to be SMART, it needs to be within your control. You must believe you have the ability to make it happen.

I often work with expert consultants who create goals that require someone else to do or be something.

And that’s a recipe for disaster. It assigns the responsibility of achieving the goal to someone else — someone you don’t have control over.

Attainable goals are goals that you have the power to see through, from beginning to end.

For example: “I will block off an hour of my day to reach out to ideal clients myself.”

Attainable goals are realistic and within your control.

4. Is it REALISTIC?

As a consultant, you’ve worked hard to achieve expertise.

But, unfortunately for you and me, we all have our weak spots.

Setting yourself up for success means your goals must flow within your natural talents and skills.

It doesn’t make sense to set goals that you don’t yet have the skills to achieve.

Let me remind you that outsourcing and delegation are within your control. You can also invest in leveling up your skills to make your goals realistic.

For example: “I will invest in coaching to improve my sales skills so that I’m better at outreach and sales conversations.”

Make sure reaching your goal is realistic — that you have the skills, knowledge, and help to make it happen.

5. Is it TRUTHFUL?

The last and most important part of this process is what I call the “truth serum check.”

If I asked you about your entire life — your spouse, kids, pets, community, self-care routine, extended family — where do they fit into your day?

If I asked you what is most important in your life, how would you answer?

There are 168 hours in every week; no more, no less.

Consultant, ask yourself: are your goals in true alignment with the rest of your life?

Many consultants set grand goals, but those goals require long days and time away from home. They end up wreaking havoc on all other aspects of their personal lives.

If they’re being honest, their biggest priority is their kids, their health, or their partners.

And that’s perfectly fine — but you cannot have conflicting goals and priorities.

If your goals aren’t in alignment with the way you want to live, then you’re destined to fail.

That’s why it’s so critical to make sure the goal fits within your big picture.

For example: “I will not exceed 8 hours of work per day, so I can be at home every day by 5 to have dinner with my family.”

Make sure your goal is truthful: it fits within the rest of your life.

If your goals aren’t in alignment with the way you want to live, then you’re destined to fail.

Takeaway Thoughts

If you want to become a part of the eight percent of the world’s population that achieve their goals, follow this goal-setting process every time you have a goal.

It will ensure your goals are clear, measurable, and make sense within the context of your life.

Now go forth and slay those goals!

And if you’d like our help achieving your consulting business goals, I invite you to work with us and the rest of the Consulting Success® community in our Clarity Coaching Program.

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Terri-Ann Richards is a Consulting Success coach in the Clarity coaching program as well as a business strategist and a leadership development coach with almost two decades of experience as an entrepreneur. She lives on the East Coast of Canada, is a mom of two, grandma to one, and enjoys time outside in nature with her partner.