Try to set clear milestones

Setting a goal like “I want to be a successful VA” is useless. It is vague, it is fluffy, and it gives you nowhere to start. To build a business that actually works, you need to stop dreaming and start planning with precision.

In the military, we did not just “aim to win”; we had specific objectives, timelines, and markers of success. Your business deserves the same discipline.

The Mountain of Goals

Think of your ultimate business aim as the peak of a mountain. You cannot leap from the base to the summit in one go. You have to navigate the plateaus.

• The Summit: Your big, long-term objective (e.g., reaching a specific annual turnover or launching a secondary service).

• The Plateaus: These are your milestones. They are the level ground where you catch your breath, review your progress, and prepare for the next climb. I like to think of this as every 90 days. 

Setting Milestones: The No-Nonsense Way

A milestone is only useful if it is clear. If you cannot measure it, it is not a milestone; it is a wish. When you set yours, ensure they meet these three criteria:

1. Binary Success: You either hit it or you didn’t. There is no “nearly.”

2. Time-Bound: Give yourself a deadline. Without a date, a task will expand to fill all your available time.

3. Aligned: Every milestone must actually lead toward the summit. If it is “shiny object syndrome” in disguise, bin it.

The Good, Better, Best Approach

I do not like the rigid nature of some corporate goal-setting. Life happens! Especially when you are a mum to two boys, or juggling the day job.  To stay motivated without losing your edge, use the Good, Better, Best framework for every milestone.

• Good: The absolute minimum you must achieve to keep moving forward. This is your “non-negotiable” baseline.

• Better: What you can achieve if you put in the extra graft and things go smoothly.

• Best: The “gold star” result. If the stars align and you work your socks off, this is what is possible.

By categorising your milestones this way, you avoid the “all or nothing” failure trap. If you hit “Good,” you have still succeeded. You have still moved up the mountain.

This works particularly well if you are setting financial targets for the year. 

Stop Overcomplicating

You do not need an all-singing, all-dancing business plan. You need to know what you are doing this week, this month, and this quarter to reach the next plateau.

Stop comparing your “base camp” to someone else’s “summit.” Focus on your own climb, set your markers, and be honest with yourself about the work required to reach them.  I believe we don’t need to have a 25 page business plan that lives in your bottom drawer of your desk, but a 1 or 2 page document that details what you are working towards is a beneficial tool to your business. 

Stop Guessing. Start Building

Setting milestones is the first step, but executing them is where the real work begins. You do not need to reinvent the wheel or waste time staring at a blank screen.

In the VA Membership, we strip away the fluff and give you the exact tools you need to professionalise your business. Members get immediate access to:

• Proven Goal-Setting Templates: To track your “Good, Better, Best” targets.

• No-Nonsense Business Plan Frameworks: Built for VAs who want results, not 50-page documents.

• Direct Mentorship: Straight-talking advice to keep you on track.

If you are ready to stop “playing at” business and start leading one, join us.

Join the VA Membership today, we would love to support you on this journey.