Steven sells his products directly from his website, as well as through hotels and gift shops. His revenue had gradually increased for five years, but then dipped and then plateaued last year. He tried motivating the troops, finding new sales channels, and hiring new salespeople, but nothing changed.

Then Steven started to panic. And as his panic increased, the only thing he could think of doing was to shut down the business and walk away.

Steven was striving without having any specific goals in mind. No wonder he felt so discouraged.

Striving for success is stressful. You’re reaching for something you don’t have, and haven’t really defined. On the other hand, when you’re striding toward success, you’re taking steps each day to come closer to the outcome you desire. Every day, you get to acknowledge your forward momentum. When striding, you are in the here and now instead of struggling to reach a fantasy future. Since you’re mentally present, you are able to recognize opportunities that present themselves.

After I explained this to Steven during our consultation session, he set some specific goals for himself. Now he is striding toward the following:

• Reaching $2 million in revenue by adding retail channels, building more solid online sales, recruiting two new pay-for-performance salespeople, and forging alliances with five or more companies that have complementary products.
• Taking weekends off by training his team to be self-managed and delegating more to his office manager.
• Cutting costs by 20 percent by negotiating new terms with existing suppliers or finding new sources, streamlining internal processes, and using standard operating procedures across all departments.

By striving, Steven might eventually have reached these same goals. But by striding, he’ll get there more quickly… and enjoy the process.

[Ed. Note: Business Accelerator Christine Comaford is CEO of Mighty Ventures, a startup and CEO mentoring company. She has helped more than 150 entrepreneurs become millionaires with her proven strategies and killer connections. Get her free business-boosting tools at www.MightyVentures.com and join her Facebook group at www.BusinessRenegades.com.

And get even more goal-setting tips with ETR's Total Success Achievement Program. Don't wait until Jan. 1 to change your life.]