Hello Reader,

As independent consultants, you talk with clients about their goals all the time. Clients hire consultants to help them solve problems and achieve the outcomes that matter to them.

But here is the question worth asking:

I often ask clients, “Where do you want to be in the next 90 days?”

Every independent consultant I know has goals. More clients. More consistent revenue. Better visibility. More control over time. A business that supports their life instead of consuming it.

But goals are often not achieved. Or they are not achieved as hoped.

The problem is not always the goal. The problem is that the goal never becomes part of how they run their business.

In my recent conversation with Sarah Duran of Fruition Initiatives, we talked about the difference between goal setting and goal achieving.

Sarah works with freelancers and solo business owners to build sustainable businesses that support their lives instead of consuming them.

That distinction matters.

A goal that sits in a notebook, planning document, or task app does not create progress by itself. It may create clarity for a moment, but unless it is translated into strategies, tactics, projects, and actions, it usually gets pushed aside by client work, urgent requests, and the noise of daily business.

Sarah made the point clearly:

In this conversation, Sarah shares how to:

• Separate goals from strategies, tactics, and projects
• Stop confusing activity with progress
• Use short-cycle planning to test, learn, and adjust
• Create simple rituals that keep your goals visible
• Build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it

If your goals keep getting pushed aside, this conversation will help you think differently about how you define them, organize them, and turn them into action.

Watch the full interview with Sarah Duran here:
​Stop Setting Goals. Start Achieving Them​

Additional Resource From Sarah

Sarah also created a Strategic Planning Playbook for Solo Business Owners. In it she walks you through her approach to goal achieving. Download Sarah’s Planning Playbook.

My closing question for you:

Until the next newsletter,

Laura Burford

Whenever You’re Ready, Here’s How I Can Help

​Your Business Core: Focus, Ideal Client, and Service Offering​
An online group program for independent consultants who want consistent results and are ready to take ownership of their success. You’ll get a framework with strategy, tactics, support, and community. Schedule a free 45-minute Consulting Strategy Session to explore whether it’s a fit for you.

​Resources to Support You
Practical guides and tools designed to give you clarity and assist you with moving forward including:

• ​The Independent Consultant’s Blueprint©: Your guide to confidence and building a successful business
• ​The Consultant Assessment: Discover where you are today and what to focus on next
• ​Seven Strategies to Stand Out as an Independent Consultant: Become the "Go-To" expert you want to be

If you liked this Consulting Insight, consider sharing it with others.

Have a question? Send me an email at Laura@lauraburford.com.

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