Let’s Talk Goals
Now that 2023 is in the past and we’re getting started in 2024, it felt like a good time to talk about goals and the important role they can play in helping you find success as you start and run your business.
Just like the tips I shared to help you get a business started in my last blog post here, these are tips that can be applied to a photography business or an endeavor in any other industry.
That being said, I know there are countless other articles and blog posts out there about setting goals and what makes a goal great. This post isn’t going to be some rewording of what those posts had to say - it’s going to be a reflection about my personal experiences with goal setting and how I came up with my goals for 2024.
Keep in mind, too, that just because these work for me does not mean they will work for you. Maybe you have your own processes for goal setting that are better suited to you - that’s fine, and I’d love to hear about them! Perhaps something you read on a different blog is moreso what you had in mind - that’s great, and I’d love to read those posts as well! At the end of the day, I can only share what I know, and hope you can get some value from it just like you did from other posts or your own experiences. So with that, let’s talk goals.
Set them Early. Adjust them Often
Personally, I like to start setting my goals for the year in early to mid-December of the preceding year. Normally, I start thinking about them when I buy my annual planner so I can make a note of them somewhere in its pages.
This means once we get into the new year, I am all set up and can hit the ground rolling and start doing what I need to do to achieve them.
Getting ready for 2024 was a little bit different than when I would set goals for years past. I had a year of entrepreneurial experience under my belt, and though I still have much more to learn, I was able to use that experience as a guide for what I wanted to achieve this year. In years past, I simply listed them out and that was that. This year, I organized them so I could more easily track my progress toward each of them where possible. I have for categories for my goals in 2024: Business, Health and Wellness, Financial, and Personal (for the sake of this post, we’ll only focus on the business goals).
This year my business goals include:
Doubling my gross annual income from 2023
Get published to my first magazine cover
Minimum of 750 YouTube subscribers by the end of the year
There are some others, but we’ll get into those shortly.
Each of these goals I set early, but with that, I also know that if I see they were too easy or too difficult, and I’m either reaching them faster than I anticipated or struggling to hit them, I can adjust them as often as needed to accommodate my needs. Remember, one of the tips I gave for starting a business was to be flexible - that can also apply to goals you set and how you approach your growth.
Break them Down
One thing I definitely agree with from other pieces on goal setting is the importance of breaking your goals down into meaningful steps and milestones. This way, you have a way to track your progress toward your larger, overarching goals along the way.
In the past, I never really paid much attention to it this year, but in 2024 I was much more intentional about it, and have given myself markers to track progress toward each of the goals set above. Remember how I said there were others that we’d get into shortly? Here’s where we do that. Let’s look at my goal of doubling my gross annual income from 2023 to 2024 as the example:
In 2023, my gross annual income was $28,765, so to double that this year means I need to bring in a gross income of at least $57,530. What steps can I take to achieve that? Well, that’s where some of my minor goals come in so I can track my progress toward that: Establish at least $1,500 per month in passive income by the end of May and drive a minimum of 36 print and product sales this year.
$1,500 per month in passive income would be a game-changer and is potentially what will make or break the overall goal, as it is represents a huge opportunity the business lacked in 2023. I want this established by the end of May so that is has seven whole months to sit and generate as much income as possible toward the goal of doubling my annual gross income.
Driving a minimum of 36 print and product sales is also hugely instrumental, as the majority of the income I made in 2023 was from real estate photography. To capitalize on print and product sales (ex - calendars and photo books), is going to be an instrumental part of sustaining this business long-term. 36 sales should be no issue, as I eventually reached that figure in 2023 during a recent review of my sales. However to have that as my minimum for the year is the challenge, and I will have to step up my game to reach it and have it reach its full potential in assisting the race to $57,530.
So as you can see, while I have larger, overarching goals, I took steps to break them down into smaller milestones or contributing goals so I can more easily track my progress toward the larger ones. Being able to track your progress is a huge game changer in whether or not you ultimately achieve what you set out to accomplish.
Get Started and Put in the Work
Now that you’ve set your goals and broken them down, it’s time to get started and put in the work.
You know what you want to achieve and everything you need to do to reach that desired outcome, so all that’s left is to start putting in the work to reach them.
Admittedly, this is likely the part of the process I struggle with the most. It isn’t so much that I’m afraid of the work or anything like that - more than anything it is because of how structured and routine-oriented I am. Making the changes to that routine, even if I know they are for the best and will help me reach my goals, is really difficult for me.
Once overcome, though, it tends to be smooth sailing and I stop at nothing until I reach my goals (or at a minimum, know that I have given it my all to reach them if I see I’m going to fall short).
Here’s My Challenge to You
Now that you know my personal process to goal setting and what I do to acheive them, I have a challenge for you all - write down three goals you want to achieve this year, and then break them down into three smaller steps so you can track your progress to achieving them. Write them in a way that works best for you, but go and do this now.
Even though the new year has started, it is still a great time to figure out what you want to accomplish in 2024.
And here’s a bonus tip - include something you will do for yourself if you achieve your goals. It could be getting that new piece of gear you’ve been eyeing up, or potentially taking some time off later in the year to get away. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to reward yourself for achieving your goal (but only if you truly achieve it).
I want to hear from you on what your goals are for the year as well - hop on over to my latest Thread and share it with me in the comments!
Here’s to a wildly successful 2024, and best of luck in working toward your goals!
- Tyler