Ah, New Years…  The time when we all like to set intentions and goals for the year, confident that THIS will be the year that we actually reach those goals.  I’ll be the first to admit I absolutely stink at following through.  By March at the latest, my “goals” have gone straight out the window.  But I’m following a new system this year that I know will make all the difference!   I know you’re probably in goal setting mode as well, so I wanted to share a few tips with you today.

What is a goal?

A goal is something you have complete control over, which is basically only one thing – your own behaviors.  You can’t control anything else.  Goals are what you want – those are dreams.  Goals are WHAT YOU DO.  Things like getting more social media followers or making more money aren’t goals.  They are too abstract and also rely on external factors – i.e. the decisions of other people.  Those are dreams, not goals.   However, elevating your customer service experience and participating in networking functions- THOSE are goals.

SMART Goals

So when setting goals your, make sure they are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

• Specific –  State exactly what you are trying to achieve.  Remember, a goal is something you have complete control over, not controlled by external factors. 
• Measurable – How can you measure whether you are meeting your goal or not?  
• Achievable  – What will it take for you to be able to reach your goal?  What behaviors will you need to do (or stop) for your goal to be attainable?  
• Realistic – To be attainable, goals need to be realistic.  Don’t set the bar so high that your goal is unattainable.  Really think about your goal and set realistic expectations for yourself.  
• Time-Bound – This one is super important!  Know exactly when you want to fully attain your goal, then set time “check-points” so you can evaluate your progress and adjust your ‘achievable’ behaviors as needed.

Creating A SMART Goal

So let’s take an example of a ‘dream’ I mentioned above and turn it into a SMART goal.

Let’s get SPECIFIC:   I want more followers on my social media accounts (this is the dream!), so I will to post more consistently on social media (this is the goal).  
How will I MEASURE?  I will post once daily on Facebook and Instagram, and will make a notation on the calendar on days I do post, and on what platform I posted.   To record my progress, I will track the number of social media followers on my accounts on a monthly basis, recording the number of followers on the first day of the month.
How will I ACHIEVE this goal?   I must create new content to post each day, so I will set aside from 9:00-9:15 in the morning Monday – Friday to plan, create content, and post on social media.
Am I being REALISTIC?   I am posting on two platforms, and can create two posts in 15 minutes.  This is realistic.
Time-Bound:  I will check in once a month to analyze the number of times I have posted during the month.  Once a month, I will also analyze my social media growth to determine whether my consistency (or lack thereof)  is impacting social media growth. 

Remember, SMART goals are set and driven by your own behaviors, not outside influences.  They are totally in your control.  If you want to get to planning your goals for the new year, you can download my SMART goal worksheet below! 

And on another note, if growing your social media following is a dream of yours this year, a branding photo session is a great way to get some engagement on your social media!  Just one session can provide you with 30 days+ of fresh, branded content to post!  Learn more about my Story Sessions {HERE}. 

I wish you the best of luck rocking your biz in the new year!