When companies come to us for help, the number one question they have is “how can we achieve x?” Sometimes, it’s not that their goal is impossible, it’s that they’re not utilizing their resources effectively, marketing to the wrong audience, and not focusing on a clear goal. They know what they want to achieve, they just don’t know how to get there. Luckily for them, that’s where we step in! Our passion is helping other business owners realize their dreams and get their brands where they want them to be, and the first step is helping them build clear and SMARTER goals.
A SMARTER goal is:
Specific (Narrow down your objective to a defined point of success that you can aim towards.)
Measurable (Set a goal with some quantifiable quality so you can properly measure your progress as you go along, and know when you’ve achieved your objective.)
Achievable (Aim your sights high, but don’t expect the impossible from yourself!)
Relevant (Are the goals you’re setting actually helping to improve you, your business, or some larger goal your working towards?)
Timely (Setting a time frame for your goals can serve as both motivation and a reminder to get them done.)
Evaluated (Make sure that you’re evaluating your progress as you go along so you know what step of the process you’re on for completing your goal.)
Revised (If you’re doing things right, your situation is changing as you’re working towards your goal, so don’t be afraid to revise and edit them so they stay relevant!)
Let’s walk through our process of what it looks like when we work with our clients, help them set their goals, and most importantly, follow through on them.
Specific & Evaluate
When we work with a business owner, one of our first steps is asking them to collect various data sets for us about their brand so that we can see their trends over time. Once we evaluate that, then we have the knowledge we need to help them define and set a realistic goal. If they’ve only grown by 10% each month and are looking for 100% growth overnight, that’s when we can step in to coach them about goals they can tackle first that will eventually lead to that 100% growth. Picture a business as if it were an apple tree, the ultimate goal is for it to produce fruit, but there’s a lot of steps between now and then. Instead of wandering aimless towards a distant and general goal, it can be more lucrative to break your plan into steps, with multiple specific and achievable goals to help guide your way.
How many goals should you set?
In the span of a year, you should be completing ten to twelve goals, which can break down to three to four goals a quarter. Keep in mind that doesn’t mean each one has to be completed in that time, maybe one goal you set takes a whole year to complete, and is around every quarter. You should also consider the workload, is it just you whose working on these projects, or do you have a team you can rely on and trust with some of this work?
Also, don’t make all of your goals about work! Your personal life is just as important as your work life, and if you forget to prioritize it, both will end up suffering. Keep a healthy balance between the two, and don’t set more goals then you can handle, since all you’ll end up with is a bunch of unfinished work at the end of the year.
Are my goals set in stone?
NO! The end of each quarter is the perfect time to sit down and review your goals, see which ones you’ve completed, which need some more work, and which, if any, need to change at all. Does one of your projects require more attention, or was there a shift in your personal life that you need to devote more time towards? Life happens, and your situation can change in any number of ways in the span of a few months, so don’t feel bad if you need to tweak the list of goals you set. That’s why they made erasers and white out!
Reward Yourself
From brainstorming, to planning, to implementation, completing a goal is no easy task, so make sure you’re rewarding yourself along the way! Don’t wait until the end of the year to reflect on all your success, every goal you accomplish is a milestone that deserves it’s own celebration. If nothing else, it’s an excellent reminder for why you do what you do.
A goal can be more than just a bullet point on a list for you to tick off, it can be the finish line for a race you’ve been training months for! The more work you put into creating a defined and realistic goal, the clearer your path is for achieving it. This can be tricky for some people, though, but you don’t have to do it alone. Schedule a free 15 minute consultation with us here and we can help brainstorm what a realistic goal for your business might look like!
