Why Your Goal Setting Process ISN’T Working for You

 

I’m a HUGE goal setting person. Every year I’ll set goals and more often than not I’ll achieve them. But in my business, if often seems that the huge lofty goals I set never get done. Sure, I’ll accomplish smaller things, like, get a newsletter out or update my website, but the BIG things that actually move my business forward, often seem to just die out… I get overwhelmed, I’m not sure where to start, or I just kinda forget.

And that’s because my goal setting process was SCREWED UP. And yours might be too.

Those big, yearly goals sound good, but they don’t ever come with a timeline or checklist. 

When I moved to working on 90 Day Projects, suddenly my business OPENED up and I was actually getting the big things done. 

Here’s a peek into my current 90 day projects, how I came to them, and how I work backwards to actually get them done and check them off.

90 day project brainstorm.png

This summer - my #1 goal is to increase my visibility. I want to bring in more stylists to The Founders Club so they can expand their businesses, but in order to do that, my network needs to be wider. I want more 3rd party validation. So, I brainstormed a list of what I would need to do to increase visibility . That list included:

  1. Get interviewed on podcasts

  2. Start a podcast

  3. Launch a free Book Club

  4. Build relationships with personal stylists via IG

  5. Overhaul my website completely to reflect my current business 

Some of these goals are done (book club is in progress - stay tuned for the next one!) and others will take me the full 90 days, but they are realllllllly big goals that otherwise would overwhelm me. 

What the 90 days does is force you into action. If you have 90 days to work on something and a deadline looming, you’ll get to work. 

“We often underestimate how much we can do in a month and overestimate how much we can do in a year.”

90 days is the perfect sweet spot.

Here’s how I broke down my action steps as I explained to the stylists in The Founders Club earlier this week:

What are projects I can do that will help with raising my visibility? 

  • For me that looks like: 1) my weekly video cast / Podcast launch, 1.5) launching book club (done and done), 2) pitching myself to be on other podcasts and 3) MAJOR website revamp including all new photos. 

  • I broke these down to a deadline of Sept. 1 (so not technically on the quarter but 3 months since I started in June) and decided what projects I needed to get rolling first. 

  • June's focus was the video cast - I'm in a good weekly flow with doing and getting those posted now. 

  • July's focus is the website revamp - I'm doing my stock photo shoot Friday. 

  • July I'll also be focused on sending out my podcast pitches - 5-10 a week for a total of 40-50 is my goal.

  • Aug is tying up loose ends and REALLY focusing on using IG to find stylists and connect with them. 

So how does it get put into action?

  • I write all of this out in Evernote and backtrack with dates by the week to check it off and move it forward. I also use weekly Evernote to-do lists (get to do :)) and keep the 90 day projects at the top so I see it and am reminded of my focus.

By the time Sept. 1 rolls around, several HUGE projects will be done and I’ll be feeling good to set another round of 90 day goals. 

3 reasons why you NEED to use the 90 day project method:

  1. it allows you to act FAST and get things done

  2. It forces you to move forward - even if you’re afraid or your battle imposter syndrome

  3. it allows you to actually ideating, start and COMPLETE projects if your business (vs. having 2-10 projects going at any time that never seems o get done!)

So tell me - what projects will you work on over the next 90 days?

Sydney Lester is a personal stylist and business coach helping personal stylists go from hobby to full time. Connect with Sydney below for more style + biz tips:

 
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