Why it Works
Successful freelancers know how to set and achieve goals. A SMART goal helps you focus your business. Mini-goals let you make steady progress toward your larger goal.
Yes, I want to make 2017 my best year ever
in freelancing!
Name:
Date:
2017 SMART Goal
See the next page for a SMART goal example.
In 2017, I want to:
(What)
(How)
(By when)
SMART Goal Example
Goal: “Make $20,000 more in 2017 than in 2016 by getting 3-5 new clients.”
What: Make $20,000 more in 2017 than in 2016
How: Get 3-45 new clients and 20% more business from current clients
By when: December 31, 2017
SMART Goal Checklist
- Is my goal specific?
- Can I measure my goal?
- Can I achieve (or attain) my goal?
- Is my goal relevant (important to my freelance business)?
- Is my goal time bound (is there a deadline for achieving my goal)?
If you can check all of these items, you’ve set a SMART goal. If you can’t, revise your goal until you can.
2017 Mini-Goals
Break your SMART goal down into easily achievable mini-goals to keep you motivated and help you make progress toward your SMART goal.
Mini-Goal Example
Goal:
“Make $20,000 more in 2017 than in 2016 by getting 3-5 new clients.”
Quarterly mini-goal (for first quarter of 2017):
Research 100 new prospects, with a focus on [TYPE OF CLIENTS] and start direct email campaign.
Actions to achieve this mini-goal:
1. Each month:
• Research 30-40 prospects each month
• Prioritize prospects into 3 lists: hot prospects, routine prospects, and lukewarm prospects
2. March:
• Start direct email campaign
• Send about 5 direct emails per week
Review and assess progress toward mini-goal:
Last 2 weeks in March
Deadline to achieve this mini-goal:
March 31, 2017
Mini-Goal Timelines
Set mini-goals to work on each quarter, month, or 10-day period:
• Quarterly mini-goals work best if you’re doing well and just want to do a little better, expand your focus, etc.
• Monthly mini-goals are a good choice if you want or need to build your business quickly.
• 10-day mini-goals are the fastest way to build your business but will take the most work.
Include the actions you’ll take to achieve each mini-goal.
To achieve my SMART goal, I will:
Mini-goal #1:
Actions to achieve this mini-goal:
Action #1:
Action #2
Action #3:
Deadline to achieve this mini-goal:
Mini-goal #2:
Actions to achieve this mini-goal:
Action #1:
Action #2
Action #3:
Deadline to achieve this mini-goal:
Repeat for each mini-goal. Add as many actions as you need.
Goal Review
Review how you’re doing quarterly (every 25 days if you’re setting a 100-day goal). It’s okay if you need to adjust your SMART goal and mini-goals.
The key is to keep making progress.
Learn from what worked well and from what you struggled with. Figure out how to do better in the next quarter.
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