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Can you imagine a life without goals? How weird would that be? We’d all just be existing. Our goals are what drive us and motivate us to do the things that we do. Setting goals makes our lives better, and it gives us direction and purpose.
If you take a peek at any successful company, they’re going to have some pretty clear-cut goals. High-quality goals are those that are well-defined. They are specific and can be measured.
SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevent, and Time-bound. If you remember this simple acronym, it will help a ton in reaching your goals! Goals do not need to feel like a heavy weight that won’t go away until it’s reached. They can be exciting and life-changing. I am going to show you the do’s don’ts of goal setting and how you can be more successful in life!
In this post, you will learn:
Why you should set goals
How you should set goals
What NOT to do when setting goals
How habits and goal setting are related
Why You Should Set Goals
As a social media manager, your value is measured by achieving goals for your clients. That is precisely why it is essential to know how to set proper goals. t can be super easy to lose sight of a goal, but there are plenty of effective ways to goal set and ensure you’re on the right track.
Goals are super cool because they help you stay motivated in life, and help you stay away from becoming a couch potato! Need help developing social media goals that help reach business goals? Then download the social media goal-setting worksheet HERE.
How You Should Set Goals
It’s super important to know how to set goals, so that we stay with them. Most of the time, reaching our goals is a must, so it’s critical we learn how to meet them. We’ll write them down, plan them out, and celebrate when we reach a milestone!
Now, let’s take a look at what to do when setting goals: Below is a list of do’s and don’ts when you create your goals.
DO – WRITE IT DOWN!!! Did you hear me? Get out your jumbo pencil and your Big Chief tablet (if you were in elementary school in the early ’80s, you’d get that reference) and put that goal on the paper. There’s something about writing those goals down that make them real.
DO- Decide how you’re going to measure your success. If your goal is to increase engagement, then by how much? Put measurables in place.
DO- Establish a deadline! When you know that something has to be completed before a specific date, it motivates you to get it done. If not, it’s tempting to keep putting it off.
DO – Write out the steps that you’ll need to take to reach your goals. Remember, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.” Be detailed in those steps.
DO- Plan the steps out. Get out a calendar writing those steps in there. This will help keep you on track to meet the deadline that you set. You can go a step further and block out time on your calendar. Time-blocking is a great way to crush those goals.
DO -Reward yourself! You worked hard, and you accomplished what you set out to do, and it’s time to pamper yourself. Get that manicure or massage. Buy those shoes you know you’ll only wear once because they’ll kill your feet, but they’re so dang cute. Do something, anything, to celebrate because you deserve it.
What NOT To Do When Setting Business Goals
There are several things to stay away from when setting goals. We definitely don’t want to get unmotivated because are goals are too ginormous or get caught up on someone not liking our goals because they’re insecure. Below is what not to do when setting goals:
DON’T- Set unrealistic goals. We’ve all heard it before, “dream big.” Yes, girl, dream big, really big, but be realistic. If you want to lose 100 pounds, you can do it, just probably not in two weeks. If you’ve got that massive goal, then make mini-goals to reach that big goal.
DON’T- Get discouraged. Will you meet every goal that you set? Probably not, and that’s okay. I know it’s disappointing, but it’s also a chance to learn. Reflect and learn why you didn’t make it and then make adjustments.
DON’T- Broadcast your goals to anyone that will listen. People love to pick apart and criticize someone else’s goals. Chances are they do so because they feel inadequate about not having purposes of their own. Instead, confide in a few close friends who will encourage you and also hold you accountable for reaching those goals.
How Habits and Goal Setting Are Related
Can goals form great habits? YES!! They can be so helpful in day-to-day life, and who doesn't love that?? Most likely, when you are working towards a goal, it requires that you make some changes in your life, work, or any other area that the goal effects. Forming those great habits will set you up to be more successful in the future and you can feel better about yourself!
In the book Atomic Habits, James James Clear says that “if you get 1% better at something every day for one year, you will be 37 times better at the end of the year. Conversely, if you decrease by 1% per day, a year later you will have declined to nearly zero.” You see why habits are so important when reaching goals? They can make or break us when we’re trying to accomplish what we’ve set out to do.
Here’s some facts about habits and how they can change your life:
Habits save energy
Over 40% of what you do is habitual
It takes about 66 days to change a habit
You never forget a habit
Habits form from your past goals
You can read more about these HERE.
Conclusion
I hope that you have found these tips helpful and will use them when you create your own goals. I’d love to hear about your goals! Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you that you’re crazy and your goals are stupid. I want to encourage you. We all need a little boost when working to reach our goals. Contact me and tell me about your goals and get support for your business!
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it everytime.” – Zig Ziglar
If you’ve got some business goals that you think social media can help you reach, then keep an eye out for the next blog post.
In this post, you learned:
Why you should set goals
How you should set goals
What NOT to do when setting goals
How habits and goal setting are related
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