Checking Back in On Your Goals

This week closes out June and kicks off July - that means we’re already halfway through 2021! Here at TWN, we’ve been looking at our goals for the year and taking time to reevaluate. Setting goals is important, but reevaluating is where the real progress gets made. 

We’ve been taking note here of what’s working and what’s not. Do we need to change focus as we move into the second half of the year? Is there a project we should be approaching differently? Do we need to trim the fat and cut projects that are just not worth the time and effort? 

These are just some of the tough questions we’re asking here at Team TWN. You can have this same conversation with your team or with yourself. What was your big goal for 2021? How is progress coming along? Do you need to change focus or reevaluate how you’ll get there? 

An important part of reevaluating is looking backwards. Let’s step back and look at 1 year ago - the start of July 2020. We were in the thick of the pandemic, we had no idea when it was going to end and everything was up in the air. 

Around this time last year, we wrote a blog about goal setting and we said: “... as we all know there are a lot of external factors that will play out in the next six months we cannot control. So let’s focus on what we can control - ourselves and our actions.” 

This statement will always be true - pandemic or not. We are now facing a new kind of uncertainty about the future. Are things going to be different as we get back to being together and virtual life shifts to in-person and hybrid? While we won’t know how the next 6 months will evolve and develop, we can certainly control our own actions. 

Step 1: Celebrate Your Wins

Let’s start our evaluation process by celebrating what we have accomplished. What progress have you made? What are you proud of doing? What exciting things did you tackle in the first half of 2021? We need to continue to celebrate what we’ve achieved and remember that celebrating the wins is an important part of reaching our goals. 

Step 2: Learn from Your Losses

Once we celebrate what went well, we need to evaluate what did not. What projects flopped? What just isn’t working or gaining traffic no matter what you do? Make a list of all of these things and then take each one and add three lessons you’ve learned from that failure. 

Step 3: Toss or Repurpose the Losses

When something doesn’t work, there are two things you can do. One option is to toss it out, throw it away all together. This may make sense for some projects that just aren’t working no matter what you try. The other option is to adapt and make changes. Not every project will work out as perfectly as you mapped it out when it first started. You will most likely have to change things up - adjust and pivot to make it happen. Go back to what lessons you learned from your losses. Is there something you can change to turn it into a win?

Step 4: Look forward and plan SMART

Now let’s look forward to the end of the year. Where are you? What are you doing? What have you accomplished? Write this down or share with someone as if it is already December 2021. Instead of “I will accomplish”, say “I have accomplished” or “I have ...” . Then, start to work backwards to map out what needs to get done leading up to that goal.  

Remember SMART goals? 

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Actionable/Achievable
R - Relevant/Reachable
T - Time bound

These aren’t just something you learned in school. Embracing SMART goals can help hold you accountable. Take those big goals for the remainder of 2021 and make them SMART. 

We have to step out of the day to day and make sure we carve out the time to check in on our goals. Your success in the second half of the year depends on you making changes from the lessons you learned in the first half. Take some time this week to have this conversation and reevaluate your goals. You won’t regret it.

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