#052 - It's almost the end of the year. This is a time for reflection. This is a time for us to look back at 2020, see where we knocked it out of the park, see where we could improve and set new goals for next year.
In this episode, Julie shares her simple 3 step goal setting plan plus a bonus printable goal and habit tracker.
Summary:
Links:
https://www.sparklehustlegrow.com
https://www.subscriptionboxbootcamp.com
Goal and Habit Tracker printable
Get all the details and your ticket at SubSummit.com, THE conference for sub box businesses. We'll see you in Dallas this June!
#052 - It's almost the end of the year. This is a time for reflection. This is a time for us to look back at 2020, see where we knocked it out of the park, see where we could improve and set new goals for next year.
In this episode, Julie shares her simple 3 step goal setting plan plus a bonus printable goal and habit tracker.
Summary:
Links:
https://www.sparklehustlegrow.com
https://www.subscriptionboxbootcamp.com
Goal and Habit Tracker printable
Get all the details and your ticket at SubSummit.com, THE conference for sub box businesses. We'll see you in Dallas this June!
(00:01): So you want to launch a subscription box and don't know where to start? Girl, you are in the right place. I'm Julie Ball, a subscription box coach and your host here at Subscription Box Basics, a podcast for new and aspiring subscription box entrepreneurs that want to avoid overwhelm. So grab a coffee, some pen and paper and let's have some fun!
Hey friends, I'm so glad you're joining me today for this episode of Subscription Box Basics. Today, I am talking about a very, very simple three step goal setting plan. Now it's almost the end of the year. This is a time for reflection. This is a time for you to look back at 2020. See where you could improve for next year. See where you knocked it out of the park and things that you want to maybe do again and just identify like, what are your goals for the new year?
2021 is a blank slate. Thank the good Lord because I know we all need that. I feel like 2020, and I think you'll probably agree with me, was just kind of like a shitshow, right? You didn't know what was coming at you at any angle at any time. And I just one, I am so grateful for all the good things that happened in 2020. There were a lot of bad things, but I'm trying to see the silver lining and I'm trying to see the cup half full, which is typically my nature.
We had a lot of ups and downs in our business. We had months that were super solid and then we had months that fell really flat. And so I want you to know that you're not alone in that. It is truly an entrepreneurial roller coaster that we are all on, but we're in it together. So I'm glad for that.
So let's dive into this three-step goal setting plan. You've probably heard the phrase before a goal without a plan is just a wish. And I believe it. I like to set goals. I'm very goal oriented type of person. But it's not just saying, you know, I'm going to do this and then slapping that posted on the wall and going for it. There's a really, really simple three step plan that I go through. And I'm going to share that with you today.
(02:11): So the first thing I'm going to tell you about is identifying your goal and why, and this is the most important step. One, you got to figure out what your goal is and what, or whether that is a number of subscribers, for example, or maybe that's a feeling that you want to feel, or maybe it is a trip that you want to earn money for. Whether that is a revenue number. There's so many different ways that you can frame your goal. But the big thing that I would encourage you to think about is why. Why do you want to hit that goal? How is that goal in alignment with your mission, with your personal values, with the season of life that you're in.
And I'll just give you a quick example with Sparkle Hustle Grow. We capped our subscriber count. Currently, we never want to go over 1500. We found that 1200 subscribers, even in between a thousand and twelve hundred is our sweet spot. That is the number of subscribers where we find people are getting the most engagement in our Facebook community, where they are getting to know each other. And it feels small and intimate enough that they're getting tons of value out of it. They're meeting people, they're networking, all that good stuff.
So we found that that is our sweet spot. We never set out to be the next FabFitFun or the next BarkBox where there's thousands and thousands and thousands of subscribers, because that's just not in alignment with our long-term plan. The bigger that we get, we found that the harder it is to manage, and we don't want to create this difficult business model to run. We want ease. We want to have fun. We want things to be simple. So don't feel like that goal that you're setting has to be this massive goal. Maybe it's a goal that feels good. Maybe it's a goal that is just right for the size of the team you want to build for the revenue that you need for what you want to contribute to your family, all those things. So when you identify your goal, make sure you know your why, and that it's in alignment with you.
So write that down, write down, identify your goal and why, and is it in alignment. And then as you think about your different goals and you can have multiple goals at once, you know, you don't have to just have one big goal. You want to keep those questions in mind, as you write down your goal.
(04:45): The second thing you need to do is to break it down into smaller steps, kind of, I call them digestible chunks. Things that are a little less intimidating, and they're the baby steps. You know, the smaller things that have to happen before you get to that bigger goal, it's up to you. How many you want to make. You could put three smaller steps or you could put 10 smaller steps. It really depends on what your goal is. If you may have heard the phrase before success is a series of small wins. I 100% believe that.
And that's why I want you to break down your big goal into smaller steps. And here's the three things. You break it down into. One, what is the task like? What is the deliverable? The action item that has to happen to what is your deadline? I like to put a hard deadline on something, but if it doesn't have a hard deadline, then just give yourself a range. Maybe, you know, the first week in February, or, you know, you want this thing, this thing has to happen in March. That's okay. This is your business. You get to call the shots. If you need a hard deadline, then make a hard deadline. If you have some flexibility in it, then build in some flexibility. It doesn't matter. Just give yourself some sort of deadline. And then three, you got to give yourself a reward. Of course you want to celebrate small wins as they get you closer to your big goal. So when you break it down into smaller steps, you're going to put your task, your deadline and your reward. And of course you want to put a bigger reward for the big goal too. We want to definitely celebrate every small win and the big wins.
(06:27): Then the third step of my three step goal setting plan is to share this goal and your deadlines with a friend for accountability, that might mean that you share it with your business bestie, maybe share it with a business coach. Maybe you just share it in a Facebook group or just somewhere on social media. Because when you make it publicly known to somebody, whether that's on social media or whether that's with one person, you are more likely to hit that goal. Because one, you're saying it out loud, you're speaking it into existence and you're solidifying that thought in your brain and that person can hold you accountable, ask them to. Make sure that you have a plan, ask them to check in with you once a week or once a month, whatever makes sense for your particular goal and all the deadlines that you've set for yourself.
So to recap, my three step goal setting plan is super simple. Number one, identify your goal, your why, and if it's an alignment. Number two, break it down into small steps which are task, deadline and reward. And number three, share it with a friend for accountability.
You guys, this is super easy. I encourage you to use something like this as you're reflecting on 2020, and you are planning out your goals for 2021. If you head over to the show notes, you'll find a link to a printable. And on that printable, we have two things that you can just print out, put them on your wall and follow along. One is the goal planner and it breaks it down to a couple of steps for you. So you can just write it right in there. And then the second thing is a habit tracker. Habit trackers are super helpful, especially when you are trying to hit goals because you can establish really good habits or drop bad ones.
We'll be sure to put that on the blog as well. Yes. over at SubscriptionBoxBootcamp.com. You can find show notes and past episodes over on the blog. And so make sure you grab that download. You're going to love it. You can print it out as many times as you want, share it with a friend, put it on your wall and make it happen.
Okay. I hope this three step goal setting plan broke it down for you in a very, very simple way that motivates you to take action. Hit me up in the DMs over on Instagram. My handle is SubscriptionBoxBootcamp. I will respond to every message. Just let me know what you think. What are your goals? Tell me in the DMS, what goals you have set for 2021. I can't wait to hear them and I'll see you over there.
Thanks as always for listening. And I'll see you in the next episode.