2012 Goals: Time Will Tell
Time – who has it? And with the New Year fast approaching (Can someone please explain where 2011 went?) and the days turning into the night before happy hour, it seems like everyone’s in a race against the ticking clock. There’s a lot of pressure to meet the goals you haven’t thought about since last January, and even greater pressure to start 2012 off on the right foot, once and for all. Plus, there are SO MANY great EOY lists that have to be read and so many parties to attend. In the words of a Cathy cartoon, “AAAACK!!”
We get it. You told yourself you were going to beat the odds, increase sales and really turn your business around. Then, you snapped your fingers and found yourself eating Thanksgiving leftovers in what seemed like a matter of minutes. This year, give yourself a fighting chance by following these simple instructions.
- Prepare now. Don’t be silly and think that you can launch a full-fledged PR plan by January 2 without planning for it today. Make sure you have the basics covered (press kit, media list, goals and the tactical steps to achieve them) or you will drive yourself and your team crazy. If you don’t have these things in place, get to work, and factor that time and those resources into your long-term forecast.
2.Set reachable goals. If you own a local banana stand, you probably can’t expect to end up on Good Morning America by March, so don’t set yourself up for failure by making the impossible a priority. Set small intermediate milestones that lead up to a greater, quantifiable goal so you can track your progress every step of the way.
3. Organize and systemize. If you’re living in the clutter of 2011 (or worse, 2010), there’s no way you’ll make it past Valentine’s Day. Clean out your files, put a system in place that’s easy to use and stick with it. Heck, make “stick with the organization system” a goal, and remind yourself of it every day.
4. Schedule a time for checks and balances. Twelve months may seem like a reasonable reporting period, but that doesn’t mean you have to position your blinders until next year at this time. Before 2012, schedule days when you (and perhaps, your whole team) can reassess your goals. Be prepared to shift and shuffle along the way so that your goals are what’s best for your company – not just an item on your checklist.
5. Pat yourself on the back. [Nerd alert!] The Premack Principle states that “more probable behaviors reinforce less probable behaviors.” You know, eat your vegetables and then you can have ice cream. At Black Sheep, we like to reward ourselves with Champagne and sparkles after a week of completed goals. Try small rewards for small goals and big rewards for big goals. As a marketer, you should know the power of a good incentive.
We know, we know. It’s cold, and you just want to go home, watch a sappy movie and avoid the holidays (and the impending lecture about “where your life is going”). You’ve got a whole 1/12 of the year left and there’s much you can do, so get positive, get moving – and if you’re productive, pour yourself a glass of eggnog. See, we told you rewards work.