By Cathy Sedacca
I got the opportunity to catch up with a longtime friend of my 18-year-old daughters recently.
He was full of excitement and enthusiasm as he told me about getting into his dream college, his plans for a double major and the career he hopes to build from there. I was so impressed and proud to hear him explain how hard he worked to get the ACT score he needed and the financing required to make his dream school a reality.
He had a lofty goal and he achieved it.
Now he’s moving on to his five-year goal of graduating with a double major, earning several internships and securing a solid job offer.
Reflections on my path
Our conversation caused me to reflect on that same period in my own life. I recalled that I really didn’t have any long-term goals. It was expected that I would attend college after high school, and from there I just needed a job.
In fact, most of my life has been about walking a path and making decisions about which turns to take and which bridges to cross as they came along. The long-term plans I had were focused on the big picture.
Looking back, I wish I would have focused on more specific tactics toward a more defined and thoughtfully considered goal.
Fortunately, for the most part—things have worked out for me. But still, I can’t help but wonder how my life would have been different had I been more deliberate about how I invested my time and talent.
The importance of a long-term focus
One thing is certain: As a business owner, I don’t have the luxury of taking things as they come.
I have a responsibility to the business and the people who work here to look out five and 10 years and think about where we’re headed. It’s my responsibility to actually steer the ship toward our goals instead of simply reacting to whatever comes our way.
When my daughter learned to drive, her instructor told her to focus on the road 100-200 feet ahead rather than immediately in front of the car. It helped her be less reactionary and feel more in control.
A business should operate in the same way.
At Sage, we encourage our clients to put together annual plans and 12-month projections for the same reason. A focus on the next few weeks rather than the next several months makes you much more likely to make herky-jerky decisions as you encounter the obstacles you don’t see coming.
How will your business world change?
With big changes on the horizon in every industry—including game-changers like automation—how will your business world change in the next 5-10 years?
It’s a question every business owner would be well-served to consider, sooner than later.
Even with the best planning, there are sure to be some unexpected hurdles along the way. But in the context of a thoughtfully developed plan, you’ll surely be able to make your business dreams a reality.
Cathy Sedacca is director of sales and marketing for Sage Business Credit. She partnered with Karen Turnquist to found Sage because she believed they could do what had been done by others, but better. Working closely with clients who share the same vision for their own business is the best part of her job.