I have always been one to set goals in every aspect of my life. They’re essential for growth and development. My blog is no exception to my passion for goal setting (and achieving!!). But how do you set goals for your blog, especially in the beginning?
I have so many goals for my blog that it can become a little overwhelming. It’s easy to just want those goals to be achieved immediately – but breaking the goals down into small, actionable steps is exactly what you need to do. Learn how to set blog goals that you’ll actually achieve.
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How To Set Blog Goals That You’ll Actually Achieve
How many times have you said ‘I’m going to do this!’ and then, not done it? It’s okay, we’re all guilty of it, but setting goals means we’re less likely to do that and more likely to get stuff done. That feeling when you finally achieve something that you have been spending days, weeks, months, or years trying to accomplish is addictive! You’ll want that feeling again and again.
1. CHOOSE GOALS THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR LONG TERM ASPIRATIONS
When you set goals for your blog, you should also make sure those goals feel good to you. Your goals should be in alignment with how you want to feel about your blog and where you want your blog to go. Everyone has different goals – so make sure they align with what you are wanting long-term from your blog. When you set goals that don’t feel right, you’re going to be more likely to push it to the bottom of your to-do list. Not achieving goals will make you feel guilty and in turn will be on the mind constantly.
2. SET DEADLINES
Making sure you have a deadline for each goal is imperative when setting goals. If you don’t give a certain task a deadline, how likely will you be to complete it in a timely fashion? More than likely – you’ll keep putting them off because you haven’t given yourself a time frame to accomplish the goals. Make sure you are setting realistic goals. Don’t try to take on a large project in a short time frame if you don’t think you can manage it. You never want to feel stressed or rushed to get them done. BUT, on the other hand you don’t want to give yourself too long of a deadline. It may not be enough of a good push to achieve your goals. The deadline you choose should provide you with enough time to feel comfortable getting it accomplished and still giving you that push to get things done.
3. MAKE YOUR GOALS SMALLER, ACTIONABLE STEPS
When you set goals, it’s best to break them up into smaller, actionable steps instead of just looking at the big picture. I’ve put together a printable goal planner for you to accomplish those small, actionable steps. You can measure your progress as you complete the smaller steps and eventually knock off the big goal you want to accomplish.
For example, let’s say you want to your Instagram platform to reach 5k followers at the end of the year. That’s an awesome goal to have, but how will you make that happen? Try setting smaller goals for yourself such as hitting 1k followers first, then 3k, and so on. Create a step-by-step plan of tasks you need to do to get your Instagram platform to that 5k mark. Maybe you’ll want to block off a half-hour every day to leave comments on other Instagram platforms. Or maybe you’re planning to get involved in an Instagram comment pod. Whatever it may be, break your bigger goal up into actionable tasks that will help you achieve that big dream of yours. Even better? Set a deadline for those smaller tasks to keep you on track!
4. MAKE SURE TO REWARD YOURSELF
A little positive reinforcement is a good push to keep working toward your goals. Reward yourself when you’ve hit a milestone on the way to achieving your bigger goals. It’s a great way to stay motivated and to remind yourself that you are making progress, even if it doesn’t always seem like it. These little rewards can maybe be – buying some fresh flowers, buy something you have been wanting for your business (I recently rewarded myself with this office chair I’ve been eyeing!)
5. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR ONGOING PROGRESS
It’s also a good idea to keep track of your progress along the journey toward your end goal. Check in on a regular basis to see how things are coming. Are things going the way you’d hoped? Are you getting things done in a timely fashion? Or have you found that you’re actually falling behind? Or maybe you’re even ahead of schedule? (Go you!) By keeping track of your progress, you’ll be more likely to stay on track toward meeting every single one of your goals. To discover more about the most effective techniques and performance indicators, visit this website: https://www.ins78.com/
Check in with your progress on a weekly or monthly basis. Make note of the things you struggled with and what came easily so you’ll know what deserves more time and attention the next time around.
6. STAY MOTIVATED ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged as you work toward achieving your goals, especially if you don’t see the results as quickly as you would like. But it’s important to remember that you must continue to work hard and keep going if you want to accomplish anything. If you find that you prefer to have someone by your side, pushing you and lending their support, consider finding an accountability partner.
An accountability partner will motivate you, encourage you, and maybe even pester you a bit when you’re slacking. (Just as long as you do the same for them!) When you have someone to give you that extra push, you don’t want to let them down. It’s a good motivator to work harder and stay on track. Plus, your accountability partner will always be there to offer help and advice when you need it.
I used to have problems getting myself to the gym on a regular basis. Getting an accountability partner has helped me gain that extra push I needed to get into a healthier lifestyle.
7. KEEP YOUR GOAL’S S.M.A.R.T
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Actionable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
SMART goals are more focused and actionable. For example, a S.M.A.R.T blog goal would be: decreasing my blog’s bounce rate by 15% by the end of 2017.
I’m being specific because I want to decrease my bounce rate by 15%, rather than just making my goal to decrease my bounce rate. I’m keeping it measurable because I can keep track of the bounce rate via Analytics. I’m making it actionable by ensuring there are things I can do to achieve it. I’m keeping it realistic and giving myself a time limit in which to achieve the goal.