Bring Your Future Into Focus
- Tom Bronson
- Jan 9
- 4 min read
If you can't see the finish line, how can you engineer the race?
Strategy demands more than ambition; it demands written goals. Keeping a record of your goals and turning them into actionable strategies is the difference between hoping for success and paving a realistic path to take control of your future.
The first step to preparing your company for the next chapter is to bring your future into focus.
THE FUTURE CLARITY MAPPING EXERCISE
To move the needle in your business, I recommend using a process invented by Dean Graziosi, an internationally recognized speaker on motivation and goal achievement. This simple process will drive you in the right direction for honing in your focus. Download the PDF below to start defining your goals.
The boxes on the Clarity Mapping Tool include: “The Current Truth,” “One Year Goals,” “WHY these goals are important,” and “Capabilities Needed” to achieve the goals. To effectively utilize this tool and maximize your efficiency, read the steps below.
DETERMINING YOUR CURRENT STATUS (THE TRUTH)
So let’s start filling in the boxes - starting in Box 1. What is your current truth? Be honest, no one is going to see this but you. Own your vulnerabilities; they are the catalyst for action.
Write down anything that comes to mind about your current status. Think about the answers to the questions listed below:
What is the state of your business?
Is your business performing the way you want?
Is your income less than what you desire?
Given where you are today, are you satisfied with the progress you’ve made toward your original goals?
Here are a few examples from the Clarity Tool exercise:
The business is half of where I thought it would be when I founded it several years ago.
The Business is breaking even - not where I expected to be at this point.
The business struggles to identify and connect with the right people who need to hear our message!
SETTING YOUR ONE YEAR GOALS
To fill out the second box of the exercise, ‘One Year Goals,’ you’ll need to imagine your business a year from now, and state your goals as if you are looking back at the goals you have already accomplished.
State them as if you have already achieved them. This is really important! It helps get you in the proper mind framework to finish the rest of this tool. So, state them as achievements, not future dreams.
My one year goals last year were:
My business doubled over the last year.
My business is profitable.
My business is debt-free.
I have launched 3 new programs to provide business owners with the tools they need to build long-term value.
I am consistently attracting the ideal client, those who want and need my company's services.
NAVIGATING WHAT’S NEXT
The third section is about why these goals that you are setting are important to you? Why do you NEED to achieve these goals and what will doing so mean for you?
When writing your goals, see the examples below for reference:
I love helping people, and this is the best way I know to help business owners achieve their ideal outcome!
I love my family, and by having a thriving business, I will be able to provide for them better than I can today!
Because my business is profitable, I have the freedom and additional resources I need to grow this business and help more people!
I love meeting new people and learning about businesses!
IDENTIFYING CAPABILITY GAPS
Finally, let’s move over to the last box - where you will write out the capabilities needed to achieve your goals. Now, it’s important to note that this is not a tactics list. This is a list of the capabilities that you will need to develop to reach your goals.
I need to create a massive funnel and pipeline of prospective new clients through marketing.
I need to have an automated way to nurture my prospective clients.
I need a way to systematically measure my results to ensure that I’m tracking toward my goals.
I need a way to create and curate a massive amount of content to feed the programs I want to offer.
I need to develop a system to feed my MIND daily, to ensure I can stay at peak performance to reach my goals.
FROM STRATEGY TO EXECUTION
Now that you have filled out the form and articulated your current standing, you can begin to think about the tactics you need to develop to take control of the next step for your company. I recommend writing the tactics on the back of the page, for a handy way to keep all of your information in one place.
Kickstart your progress with one of these recommended tactics:
Research starting (or refreshing) a podcast for your company.
Establish a publishing cadence: Schedule and write new blog posts at a rate that works for you.
Launch a strategic newsletter to deliver insights directly to your client base.
Develop a Curriculum for a Masterclass.
Provide yourself with opportunities to reflect and revise your work. I recommend forming a daily habit of utilizing a “feeding my mind” calendar!
So - there you have it. A tool that clearly maps your future success. I hope that you will use this tool to help you get clarity around your goals and what you need to do to achieve them.
Check out the Maximize Business Value podcast on the same topic:
Mapping your future with clarity will have more impact on your business value than you think!
The Business Transitions Summit exists to help you strategize for the future of your business by providing the framework, curriculum, and expert connections you need to identify and execute actionable strategies, transforming your goals from a wish list into a detailed, executable plan.
About Tom Bronson
Tom Bronson is a serial entrepreneur and business owner. As the founder and President of Mastery Partners and Business Transitions Summit and a Founding Partner at NorthStar Mergers, Tom empowers business owners to maximize their company’s value and achieve their dream exit. Discover more at masterypartners.com & northstar-mergers.com.
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