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157: Goal Setting for 2024 and My Word of the Year · Imperfect Marketing

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Hello and welcome back to another episode of Imperfect Marketing.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, kendra Corman, and today we're going to be diving in to something that I think is crucial as we stand on the brink of a brand new year.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about goal setting for 2024.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: Alright, so we're not just talking about any goal setting.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I'm going to talk to you about my favorite method for goal setting and following the full focus planner.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: As you know, I'm a big fan.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: It has transformed my personal and professional life since I started using it several years ago, and, along with that, I'm going to be also sharing my word of the year for 2024, which is super fun to always do that.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: A few years ago, I used to set resolutions and they would be done by February, march a bit in last very long, and so, starting a couple years ago, I started with a word of the year, and that word of the year was set to really guide my decisions, my motivations and where I was going with what I was doing.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: So let's talk about my word of the year for 2024.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: It is discipline, okay, and that is because I need to be more disciplined in a lot of the things that I do In 2023,.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: My word of the year was no.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: It was a year of learning to prioritize, to focus and to say no to things that didn't align with my goals, my values, where I wanted to go, and it made a huge difference.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Setting some goals that were my absolute nose made a humongous difference.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Just to give you an example, one of the things that I did is I set some hard and fast rules.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: I have no recurring meetings before 10 am.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: I had no recurring meetings on Mondays or Fridays.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: That's a game changer From going from meeting to meeting to meeting, to meeting five days a week and having to work weekends to being relaxed on Sunday, knowing that when I went into the office on Monday, I might have a couple of meetings here and there, but I didn't have anything every single Monday.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: I didn't have to work Saturdays and Sundays.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: It was a total and complete game changer for me.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: So in today's episode, let's explore setting goals and how choosing a word of the year for you could be a game changer for your 2024.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about doing the right things for you and your business and a disciplined approach and how that's going to lead to your success in 2024.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: And, of course, I'll share some actionable steps along the way and so that you can apply these to your own journey and your own goal setting.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: So if you're ready to set some powerful goals and maybe even choose a word of the year, this episode is just for you.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: So let's jump right in.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: The concept of a word of the year is.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: It's pretty simple, but really powerful.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: It's about choosing a single word that encapsulates your goals, aspirations and focus for the entire year.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Think of it as a theme that guides your decisions and actions.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: Like I said for 2024, my word of the year is discipline.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: It's all about focusing on doing the right things and actually doing them.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: The necessary things, those things that are going to propel my personal life and my business forward.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Discipline and how I manage my time, my resources and how I approach my goals.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: So, again, let's reflect back on my word of the year for 2023 for a moment, which was no.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: It sounds negative at first, but it was anything but saying no meant making space for what truly mattered.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: It meant declining some projects, some opportunities, commitments that didn't align with my vision.
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: It was about focus, being intentional with my yeses and my noes, and it made a significant impact on how I manage my business Choosing a word of the year.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: It's more than just a fun exercise, and it is fun.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: It's a commitment, it's a way to keep yourself accountable when you have a word that's going to guide you.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: It's going to simplify your decision making.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: Every time you're faced with a choice, you can ask yourself does this align with my word of the year and where I want to go?
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: It's so easy, so easy, and I do it all the time, which is why my word of the 2024 is discipline.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: To get lost in that day to day grind, to say yes to everything because you have a fear of missing out.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: But what if you had a clear focus?
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: What if every decision you made was in line with a word that truly resonated with your goals for the year?
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: That'd be pretty powerful, right?
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: One of the things that I will tell you is that, for a lot of us, our fear of missing out is all in our head.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: The consequences for saying no are also all in our head.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: So get rid of that head trash, figure out where your priorities are, and then let's get moving to goal setting and setting a word of the year.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: So think about your own word.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: What's going to guide you through the year.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: What single word can help you stay aligned with your core objectives?
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, moving on, let's talk about those goals and objectives.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: The full focus planner and Michael Hyatt's approach to goal setting is what has fueled me for the last several years, and you know I'm a crazy fan of my full focus planner.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: For those of you who are not familiar, the full focus planner is more than just a planner.
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: It's a system.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: It helps you break down your yearly goals into daily actions.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: It's about clarity, prioritization and, most importantly, focus.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Michael Hyatt's method and aligns perfectly with this.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: It's not just about setting goals.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: It's about setting the right goals.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: This method encourages you to think about what you truly want to achieve, not just what you think you should be doing, not just filling your day.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: It's about being intentional and realistic.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: For me, this has been a game-changer.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: It's helped me align to my daily actions with my larger goals.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: This is where my word of the year 2024 comes into play.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: So discipline is about having the discipline to stick to the goals I've set, to follow through on plans I've made.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: Now let's go ahead and break it down just a little bit here, because there's a few key stops to the full focus planner methods.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: First, I want you to think big picture.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: Okay, start by visualizing really what you want to achieve by the end of the year.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Think broad and think big.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: What does success look like for you in 2024?
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: Now from this vision we are going to derive specific, actionable goals.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: There should be clear, measurable and achievable.
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: They should not be vague ideas but concrete, measurable objectives.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Then we break it down.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: That's my favorite part of the full focus planner Once you have your goals, you break them down into smaller tasks.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: This is really again where this full focus planner shines.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: It helps you turn these big goals into daily, actionable steps.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: So I have my quarterly goals.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Then I have my weekly big three, so the three things that I need to do that week to achieve my goals.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Then I have my daily big three, so again those three things that I need to get done for the day.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: They're going to help me, move me closer to my goals and for me that's been the struggle.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: My daily big three and my weekly big three do not always add up to those larger goals and they've been focused, I think, a little too much task oriented on things for my clients and not enough on things for me and my business Doesn't mean I can't.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to get the stuff done for my clients because I do like to pay the mortgage, but again, breaking it down and setting it up and being more disciplined about getting them done is going to be key for me in 2024.
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: And then one of my favorite parts is regular reviews, weekly and quarterly.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: You review where you're at versus your targets.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: Do you need to adjust your goals or how you're doing what you're doing?
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  Speaker 1: Are you on track?
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: Are you blowing your goals out of the water?
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: Because you are following the system and setting goals and Things are just coming together for you.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Maybe you need to make them a little bit bigger, but again, these regular reviews really give you a chance to not forget your goals and where you're headed for the year.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Now, why is this method so powerful, especially for you and for me?
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Well, it brings clarity and focus.
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: It's easy to get overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of running a business.
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: Trust me, I know and I get lost in the day-to-day demands of running my business.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: But when you have clear goals and a disciplined approach to achieving them, you can navigate through all that noise and stay on track.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Now remember it's not just about setting goals.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: It's about setting the right goals, and then, for me, it's about having the discipline to make sure I'm following through.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: Now that we've talked a little bit about the importance of a guiding word and A goal-setting method that's structured, let's dive into how to set some practical and focused goals, because it's not just about dreaming big.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: It's about being realistic and focused.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: It's about understanding what you're gonna do and, in my opinion, a little bit about what you're not going to do.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: This is where the concept of the word discipline my word for 2024 is playing its role.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: So one of the things that the full focus planner and Michael Hyatt and the full focus company or whatever they're calling themselves now that they talk about are rituals.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: There's a Morning ritual, an evening ritual, a workday startup ritual, a workday shutdown ritual.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: For me, those startup and shutdown rituals are key.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: When I do them, I am in a much better place the entire week and I don't ever feel behind.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: So for me, it's about starting the day with a clear mind and ending it with a sense of accomplishment.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: It's these small, disciplined habits that set the tone for productivity and focus.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: It's definitely not as disciplined with these as much as I wanted to be in 2023 and that's why I'm focusing on it in 2024.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: So now let's talk about some specific goals.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Right, this year, one of my goals is to focus on list building, and it should be my goal every year, and it usually is my goal every year.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: This year, I have planned six what I'm calling list building weeks throughout the year.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: So every other month, I'm doing a list building week.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: Now, this doesn't mean I'm aiming for a specific number of new contacts or a specific list size.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: Instead, I am talking about Consistently engaging in behaviors that are going to grow my list.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: This focus effort spread throughout the year, with dates already in place, ensures that I'm always moving towards my goal and trying my best not to burn out on it.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: And it's not just about growing the business externally.
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: Internally, we're working on cutting non revenue expenses by 15%.
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: This is going to require a disciplined review of where our resources are going and making some tough and, unfortunately, some really easy decisions about what's what's necessary and what's not.
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: It's not about buying the new shiny object syndrome Just because it's there or I can, and trust me, if you know me, you know I do love a new shiny object.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: It's about thinking about where I'm at and where I want to be, but goal setting, like I said, isn't just about what you do.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: It's also about how you do it.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: This is again with my word of the year.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Discipline is coming into play, for example, when it comes to speaking engagements.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: I have a goal for a certain number of speaking engagements this year.
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: It's not just about the number of events, though.
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: It's about the entire process of these speaking events Ensuring there's a way for attendees to join my list, having a follow-up sequence in place, and so on.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: It's about making sure that every effort counts, and Then I'm leveraging everything that I'm doing and not phoning it in.
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: Every action has a purpose.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: Setting focused goals that are measurable can have a profound impact.
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: It's not about doing everything, and I'll say that again.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: It's not about doing everything.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: It's about doing the right thing, and for me, it's about the discipline to stick to my plan and To make choices that align with my overall vision.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: So, as you think about your goals for 2024, I want you to ask yourself Are they practical?
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Are they focused?
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: Do they align with your word of the year?
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: If you chose to pick one, all right.
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: So we've covered a ton of ground, from choosing a meaningful world of the year to setting practical and focused goals.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: Now I want to tie it all together with comprehensive goal management and some actionable takeaways for you.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Comprehensive goal management is about seeing the bigger picture.
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: It's not just setting a goal and forgetting about it.
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: It's continuously working towards it, evaluating it and adjusting it as needed, because sometimes things change.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: There's a goal that I had for 2024 that became irrelevant, and so I got rid of it and replaced it with something else that was more relevant to where I wanted to go.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: So I want you to make sure that every piece of that puzzle that you're building and putting together that's going to build your 2024 picture fits together to create the overall vision that you have.
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: Now let's revisit the concept of discipline in relation to goal management, since discipline is my word of the year.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: For me, discipline is more than just sticking to my goals.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: It's being flexible and adaptable and disciplined in where I'm headed.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: It's recognizing when a goal needs to be tweaked or when a new opportunity might align better with my overall vision.
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: So here's a practical example from my own plans for 2024.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: As I mentioned before, as part of my focus on discipline, I'm committed to not just speaking at events but maximizing their impact for me and my business.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: That means having a plan for each event.
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: I'm going to have a downloadable resource for attendees.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: I'm also going to have a follow-up sequence, a way to track engagement.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: It's about ensuring every effort that I put into these events not only adds value to the people attending but also contributes to my broader goals of retention list building customer engagement.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: So for you, my listeners, it's time to think about how you can apply these concepts to your own business.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: So here are a couple of actionable steps for you to follow through.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: One choose your word.
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: I want you to reflect on what word will guide you through 2024.
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: Make it meaningful and aligned with your goals.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Then I want you to set focused goals, smart goals right, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based.
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: Everybody knows about smart goals, but make sure that your goals are focused.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: They're gonna get you where you wanna go in that big vision.
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: And sometimes the goals might be to scale back, to make time for personal stuff.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: I set a personal goal of a date night every week with my husband.
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: Well, we did really, really well throughout the winter and we fell off a little bit late summer because we were very busy and he wanted to enjoy the weather and to take that opportunity to get things done.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: So we tweaked it.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: Only in bad weather do we do our date nights okay.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: So those are again focused goals and don't be afraid to have to change them.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Implement daily rituals.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: Consider incorporating startup and shutdown rituals to bring discipline and focus to your daily routine.
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: Mine are on a post-it over here.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: My startup ritual involves getting to inbox zero, which is through all of my email LinkedIn, 10 minutes.
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: Facebook, 10 minutes.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: Asana, which is my task management system, for 10 minutes and then for two minutes I review my weekly big three and my goals for the year.
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: My shutdown ritual email's a lot longer.
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: It's an hour of email at the end of the day 10 minutes on LinkedIn, 10 minutes on Facebook, five minutes on Asana just to see what I've got for the next day.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: 10 minutes to prep for the next day and set those daily big three and then again review that weekly big three and my goal review.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: Because while I'm setting those daily big three, I don't want them to be task and project oriented.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: I want them to be tasks that are gonna be goal oriented.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: Now I want you to plan for the longterm.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: So, again, break those goals down into smaller, actionable steps.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: Schedule these steps throughout the year so that you can maintain consistent progress.
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: Like for my list building goal, it's about the six weeks, not about a number.
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: Then I want you to review and adjust.
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: Like I said, things change, so regularly review your goals, be flexible and willing to make changes if something isn't working or priorities change.
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: So let me sum that up again Choose your word of the year, set focused goals, implement daily rituals, plan for the longterm, review and adjust.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: Goal setting is a dynamic process, or at least it should be.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: It's about finding the balance between discipline and adaptability, between ambition and realism.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: I really hope that you're feeling inspired and ready to take on 2024 with a clear vision and a focused mindset.
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: Remember, the journey to achieving your goals is as important as the goals itself.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: So again, choose a word of the year that resonates with your goals and aspirations.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: Let this word guide you throughout the year.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: Set practical and focused goals using a structured approach like the full focus planner and Michael Hyatt's method.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: Ensure that these goals are smart and aligned with your word of the year.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: Implement disciplined daily rituals and habits to maintain focus and productivity Regularly and review your goals to stay on track and adapt to changing circumstances.
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: Finally, make every effort count, whether it's a speaking event, a business initiative or date night with your significant other.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Ensure it aligns with and contributes to your broader goals.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: Now for your actionable steps.
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: Take some time today.
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: Think about your word of the year.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: What is your guiding principle?
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: Start outlining your goals, making sure that they align with your overall vision and, if you haven't already, consider incorporating some goal-setting tools and some rituals into your daily routine.
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: One last thing before we go.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: If you found value in this episode, I would be so grateful and really appreciate it if you could rate and subscribe to the Imperfect Marketing Podcast on whatever your preferred platform is.
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: Your ratings and reviews help more people find us and join our community of passionate and driven business owners, coaches and consultants.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: Thank you once again for tuning in.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: I'm Kendra Corman, and this has been another Imperfect Marketing Brief of the Imperfect Marketing Podcast.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Here's to a disciplined, focused and successful year ahead.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Until next time, keep striving, keep growing and remember perfection is not required to make a real impact.