Realistic and achievable goals do not work. That may be a controversial statement, particularly as we are often told we need set realistic goals in order to succeed. The acronym SMART - standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time - is very popular when goal-setting.
We all need to set goals to develop our businesses. I am not disputing that fact. However, 13 years of interviewing top achievers, from all walks of life including business, sport and academia, has told me that realistic, achievable goals just do not cut it.
Top achievers all have one thing in common. They set themselves a massive goal, and when they've achieved it, they set another one. Tim Watts, founder of Pertemps International, is a fine example of this. Tim was one of the first people I interviewed, back in 2001, and he told me his first massive goal was to turnover £1million.
By the time I spoke to him, 40 years after he'd started the business with his mum, his massive goal was to turnover £400m. As you would expect, Pertemps is unrecognisable from the business that began in a small Birmingham shop in 1961.
At first, they worked much like any recruitment and employment specialist - they placed people in jobs. Now they are an international company, with several divisions covering other related activities like human resources, and helping the long-term unemployed back into work.
Tim knew what his strengths were and focussed on them, delegating the other work to his managers and franchisees.
This is something else top achievers have in common. They have large amounts of emotional intelligence - they know what makes them tick, and use that to their advantage.
We could all learn something from this. How many small business owners just do everything themselves? I'm as guilty of this as anyone - I get side-tracked into doing the accounts, making appointments, even vacuuming the office, because of the cost involved with employing someone else to do it.
The likes of Tim Watts delegate those tasks, and focus on what they are good at. But far from just delegating, they also empower their staff to make their own decisions and targets. Tim was happy for his managers and franchisees to set their own goals - as long as they were big ones. He resigned as chairman in 2004, having given 70% of the company to his employees, and in 2008 his personal wealth was estimated to be £45m.
But the principle of setting massive goals does not just help top business people. We have worked with Ajai Chauhan, founder of Birmingham-based auto parts distribution company Blue Man Autos, since 2003. At that time, he had recently established his business, and worked from a small industrial unit in the Sparkbrook area.
By his own admission, he needed help with all aspects of the business, from improving communication with staff and customers, to stress prevention, and profitability and cash management. He also wanted to put processes in place in every area of the business, including customer management and stock control.
Most importantly he needed help focussing and giving the business some direction. He is now one of the most focussed businessmen on our Mastermind programme. His massive goal was to become the biggest and best car parts distributor, and he's well on the way.
You should give yourself a real challenge, one which motivates you through the pleasure of achieving it or the pain of not getting there. Business owners must hold themselves accountable - make commitments and stick to them. That will give you the focus you need to make 2010 your best year ever.
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