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Show Notes
Welcome to Small Business Talk for Coaches, episode 277. Hope you have had a fabulous week and had some downtime, as well as thought about what 2025 is going to be for you. There is lots of talk about planning and goal setting this time of year. What are you going to do? What are those big things that you want to do?
SMART Goals vs. Dumb Goals
Now it can be quite overwhelming at this time of year. People say that we should be doing SMART goals, and I totally agree. An interesting point of view from Brendan Bouchard recently mentioned down goals, suggesting that SMART goals will only get you so far because we know the how. Dumb goals are these huge, big goals that you really want to aim for but do not know the how. That is definitely an interesting perspective.
We often overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in ten years. Let us have a chat about those sorts of things today. One of my favourite topics is called goal sticking.
Let us start with goal planning first, and then I will tell you what that is. The first thing we need to think about is having a roadmap. We need some direction. If we do not know where we are going, we could end up going anywhere, even in circles.
If you are not bringing your team along with your vision and mission, where are you going? What is the reason and purpose? Especially in this time when there are so many other opportunities for people to get work or join other teams, you need to include them in your vision and help your team understand where your business is going.
We get really excited this time of year but just stop and take some time. There is no point trying to do this while rushing between everything else. The first thing you need to do is set aside a little time. Sometimes you only need half an hour or an hour; other times, you might need longer. The first thing to do is jot down all your thoughts, no matter how fantastic or fanciful they are. Just get them out of your head so you can start making those SMART goals.
The Big Rock Exercise
The problem with us is that we think we can do so much in one year and, as mentioned, we overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in ten. Write everything down and then pick three.
Some people say to aim for the power of ten, but our minds like to race and seem to prefer odd numbers. Pick three, and if you have them done by February, fantastic. If not, you can start working on them.
Pick those three big rocks and write them down. What do you need to do to achieve those three rocks? That is the overarching plan. For example, if you want to get 20 one-on-one clients in a week, what do you need to do? Do you need to let people know that you are available for one-on-one coaching?
Write down what you need to do and break that into smaller pieces. Develop a marketing plan. Break that down into quarterly goals, then monthly, and then weekly goals. This approach will ensure progress toward the big rocks.
Do you need to have your social media plan sorted so that you are talking about relevant things to your audience? Have you worked out who your audience is? All those steps go under the overarching goal of getting 20 one-on-one clients.
Write down what you need to do and break that into smaller pieces. Develop a marketing plan. Break that down into quarterly goals, then monthly, and then weekly goals. This approach will ensure progress toward the big rocks.
Reflect and Take Some Actions
Next, ensure these tasks are in your diary, with actionable steps. Reflect on what worked last year. What did you do that was amazing? Even in challenging years, there are accomplishments worth acknowledging.
Think about the things that did not work. Are you still carrying them into this year? Is there something you need to let go of or change? For example, is the social media platform you use effectively reaching your clients?
Be strategic and ensure your work adds value. Avoid extremes like only sales posts or no sales posts at all. Share quality content that reflects your expertise. Do not give away the “how,” but explain the “why” and “what” behind your steps.
Links
Big Rock Exercise
The Coach’s Marketing Roadmap
Contacts
Goal Sticking and Planning for 2025
Make sure your goals stick by adding them to your calendar. Prioritise your big rocks first, followed by smaller tasks, and batch your work efficiently.
I like to choose a word for the year. My word for 2025 is abundance. What is your word? Wishing you every abundance in 2025!
Listen to the full episode of Small Business Talk episode 277.
You can also find the video versions of the Small Business Talk Episodes on YouTube.
