Now that we are officially entering the last third of the year, I’m starting to get serious about some of my goals.
In the beginning of August, using a new tool called Powersheets (currently sold out but new ones are coming for 2020 in October!), I outlined 10 goals that I’d like to achieve by 2020. I also set out the steps I would need to take to ensure my success.
Here’s a sneak peek at what I’ll be up to for the remainder of the year:
- Overhauling my business brand. I worked with a branding agency over the summer to develop a more cohesive visual brand and messaging for my business and now it’s time to implement what we came up with. I love the new brand elements and think they will help me better communicate my services and how I can help academics and higher education professionals live and work with more ease.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Refreshing the visual brand of my podcast
- Creating new social media art that reflects the new brand elements
- Redesigning my main website with the new brand elements (this is a big one!)
- Refreshing all of my programming and marketing language to align with the new brand
- Creating a slide deck for my new keynote on radical self-trust that aligns with the new branding elements
- And. so. much. more. I can’t wait.
2. Launching my coach training. I’ve been diligently working on creating a coach training curriculum aimed specifically at higher education professionals and those who work with higher education professionals. It’s a lot of work, but I plan to have the first cohort enroll this fall to start the first round of training in January 2020.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Completing the coach training guide
- Developing the coach training website (it’s coming soon!)
- Developing an initial content marketing schedule and creating a social media networking plan
- Recording and launching a new coaching-focused podcast (this is in progress!)
3. Working toward financial independence. This summer has been a great time for my partner and I to review our financial goals. After completing a couple large projects this year (our kitchen renovation and the purchase of our new car), we are set for a while in terms of larger financial goals. Enter: FIRE. I had been reading up on the concept of financial independence, retire early (FIRE) for a while and hope to start setting aside some extra funds to help us move toward this goal over the next several years. If you want to learn more about FIRE, I recommend starting with this book, and this podcast.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Paying off a large chunk of our mortgage to speed up our repayment process (we made the first extra payment for this in early August)
- Opening an index fund account with Vanguard and starting to make regular contributions (mostly from our business revenue)
- Continuing current contributions to my OSU retirement accounts
- Maxing out our Roth IRA account contributions by the end of the year
- Vesting my OSU retirement in January 2020 (I’m in my fifth year of this job and I almost can’t believe it!)
- Continuing to read books and listen to podcasts about the concept of FIRE
4. Completing 500 hours of coaching. My next certification level for coaching requires 500 hours of coaching experience. I’ve passed the 400 hour mark and I’m hoping to get those last 100 hours before the end of the year. This goal is also tied to my coaching training since I need to achieve a certain level of certification before I can train others (and in order to get my coaching training program accredited through the International Coach Federation).
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Filling my fall writing groups and 7 Weeks to Radical Self-Trust group coaching programs
- Emailing my current clients about outstanding coaching sessions that they can book
- Better communicate my coaching program schedule through the website revision I’m completing
- Clarifying the value of coaching through more cohesive brand messaging implementation
- Creating an improved client on-boarding process
- Automating my coach session scheduling process (this actually happened a little earlier this summer)
5. Starting a yoga practice. This year, I’ve been loving my regular morning walks and would love to add yoga into my evening routine to help wind down from each day.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Practicing yoga at least three times per week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session
- Researching yoga studios in my area to see if taking a class fits into my fall travel schedule
- Targeting specific muscle areas that need to be loosened up with particular yoga poses (pigeon is a favorite to release hip tightness)
6. Creating a bedroom oasis. We recently bought a new bed and have some other small improvements that I would like to make to our sleeping space to make it more relaxing.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Hanging blackout curtains to cut down on the light coming in through a main window
- Purchasing a reading chair for one corner of the room
- Folding and putting away laundry immediately rather than just letting it sit and collect into large piles that make the room look more cluttered
- Cleaning out two master closets that have become storage areas for a range of items that don’t really belong there
7. Caring for my mental health every day. I talked on a recent podcast episode about some of the challenges of living with anxiety (I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder about 10 years ago, but I’ve had it since childhood). This year, I’ve gotten a lot more intentional about paying attention to the triggers of my anxiety and the things that work to help me manage my anxiety on a daily basis.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Journaling every morning
- Taking daily walks
- Scheduling time for solitude
- Taking my medication twice per day
- Keeping my sugar intake at a minimum
- Building in more time buffers into my schedule
- Booking monthly massages to work out muscle tension
- Reading novels
8. Getting creative with the “Research in Action” podcast for 2020. After almost four years of interviews for the “Research in Action” podcast, I’m feeling the need to switch things up a bit. I would also like to bring more diverse voices to the show.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Inviting some guest hosts to contribute their own episodes with guests of their choice
- Launching a book group for RIA listeners with book discussion episodes happening throughout the year
- Continuing to seek out guests that represent diverse perspectives, research topic areas, and methodologies
9. Transitioning my other podcast shows to make room for new projects. Since I’m in the process of creating a new coaching-focused podcast, and I have quite a few other projects on my plate, I decided to slim down my podcast channel to make what I was producing more manageable for me and for my listeners.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Trimming my podcast channel back to one show: You’ve Got This
- Shifting Make Your Way to its own podcast feed
- Launching my new podcast focused on coaching in mid-fall (I’m recording episodes now!)
- Developing social media templates and podcast art that are aligned with my new branding elements
10. Streamlining my content marketing plans. As my business matures, I’ve felt its time for me to evolve my content marketing (including my blog, newsletters, podcast, etc.). This will include revisiting my production schedule, aligning my content with clear brand pillars, and updating content with new branding elements.
Here are some of the steps involved with implementing this goal:
- Updating my email newsletter templates
- Developing more worksheets that people can use to implement some of the strategies that I frequently talk about
- Designing and aligning content marketing plans for my coaching business and my coach training program
- Utilizing my 2019 end-of-year retreat to plan 2020 content marketing
- Playing around with flat lay photography as a medium for some of my social media content
Whew! That’s a lot of things to do before the end of the year, but I’m feeling really energized around each of these goals.
Of course, I would love to hear what you are up to for the rest of the year.
What’s on your plate in terms of goals and action items?
To think on:
- How does setting goals motivate you to move projects forward?
- What projects are you most looking forward to working on in this second half of the year?