Spring Cleaning: SMART Goal Check-Up
We’ve made it through what was, for many of us, a long and brutal winter. The sun is finally beginning to peek from behind the grey clouds, colors are returning, and it’s starting to be possible, at least for a small part of each day, to let in a little bit of fresh air and clear out the stale winter air. It’s finally spring! With early spring and the reemergence of life from hibernation, we often turn ourselves to a bit of rejuvenation in many areas of our lives. Many of us have long-standing traditions for our spring cleaning process, but the seasonal change is also a great time to revisit the goals we set for both ourselves and our work when the year began!
Checking In on Your SMART Goals: How Are You Doing?
Let’s take a look back at the SMART goals we set together earlier this year. When we were creating our goals, we made sure they were Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result-Oriented, and Trackable. We talked about how to create SMART goals, how to integrate them into your marketing action plans, what tools might help you reach them, and how to measure your successes. Hopefully you’ve been able to see some progress, but whether you’ve been able to celebrate or not, now is a great time to think about any adjustments you might need to make this quarter to ensure you continue to make progress throughout the rest of the year!
Consider Your SMART Goal Progress:
S: Were your goals specific enough that you were able to create effective plans to meet them? Do you need to narrow your focus in the next few months to be more effective?
M: Were you able to keep track of your progress easily, or were your measuring tools poorly-matched to the progress you hoped to achieve? Consider creating new metrics to gauge your success if your previous ones aren’t giving you the information you need!
A: If you’ve been making good, measurable progress on your goals, it’s a good sign you set a solid, achievable goal, but if not, consider whether increasing specificity or adjusting your measurement tools will help make your goals seem more achievable. As much as we want to stretch ourselves and reach new heights, it’s very difficult to take the small steps necessary to reach goals that feel unattainable. If your ultimate goal is large, try breaking it down into more specific steps that you feel you can reach in a reasonable amount of time.
R: Have you reached any of your benchmarks? If you have been, now is a good time to consider if you can set some stretch goals to help keep you motivated. If you haven’t, consider smaller increments or other adjustments that might help give you more moments to recognize success and progress!
T: Are you celebrating your successes? Even if you’ve been struggling and need to make adjustments to maintain your motivation, take a moment to celebrate any progress you’ve made as well as your dedication to your ultimate goals!
While large-scale goals are important to keeping us going long-term, it’s important to revisit them and make sure our large goals still align with the realities of ourselves, our businesses, and our lives. Taking a moment now and then to consider and, if necessary, make adjustments to your plans and goals is a great way to keep your outlook fresh and your business thriving!
