Stop and Look. Are you on Track for the Year?

It’s midway through the year, and a perfect time for me to review my goals for 2014.  In January I discovered that the traditional definition of SMART goals felt logical, intellectual and, well, smart. . . but they didn’t do much to inspire me.  I added to the definition of SMART with language that got me personally involved (Is that a goal? Really?) and I set about setting goals for this year with a new level of enthusiasm.  Now it’s time to take a look, am I on track to meet my goals for this year?  Are you?

Actually, a few of my growth goals got completely sidetracked when I got to move my office unexpectedly in the spring (and yes, I learned my lesson about month-to-month leasing!).  With the redirection of time and money, I am not halfway to my annual goal at the middle of the year.  The question now is, do I reframe the goal?  Or do I up my game and figure out how to get to the goals I set?  This year I’m planning to up my game.

I have had a habit of setting goals and then revising them when they no longer seem achievable.  It’s been quite a lesson on getting realistic and learning how to up my game to achieve my own objectives.  I realized this year that I am happy to work as long or as hard as necessary to meet my client’s deadlines.  I can even convince myself that meeting client deadlines is a part of accomplishing my goals, but it’s not.  Really, providing service to clients is delivering on work that has already been counted toward the measure of my goal.  Achieving the objective will come from a focus on marketing and sales, and it’s those actions that tend to get dropped in the day to day of my business.

Today, I am looking at the numbers.  I am halfway through the year and less than halfway toward my target.  I will need to work X% more effectively over the next six months to improve results in the second half of the year.  The important thing is that I am committed to do whatever it takes to make my own deadlines.  I get to re-cast my strategy, revise my plan of action and get busy.  I’m excited by the challenge.  Are you?