It’s nearly the end of September but I still have that new term feeling. Summer holiday over. The start of a new season. Those annual autumnal health campaigns such as ‘Stoptober’ and Macmillan’s ‘Go Sober for October’.
Yes, time to do things differently.
Goal setting September.
I’ve got two main goals. One relates to what I laughingly call the ‘domestic economy’ and decluttering the house. That particular vision is about 10 years’ old. Decluttering a cupboard would be a start. Even a shelf or a surface would do. I’ll say no more.
The second goal is linked to my business, which involves interviewing entrepreneurs and MDs to find the stories and messages that help them to stand out. The target focuses on not drying up.
Keep the ideas flowing.
One of the things I love working on for clients is using their interviews to create a range of fresh content for their website. It’s always gratifying to see how a relaxed conversation can throw up so many quotes and ideas, which then feed into testimonials, case studies, blog posts and news items. The challenge is keeping that momentum going. Not just for next week, but the week after that, and the week after that and … You get the picture. You might have even suffered from a sinking feeling – when weeks slip by and nothing new appears on your company’s website.
Borrow from my broadcasting background.
In a previous life at the BBC, I spent many years working on daily and weekly programmes – including Woman’s Hour and Desert Island Discs on Radio 4. Coming up with fresh programme and guest ideas every 24 – 72 hours was part of the job description. In other words, continuous content creation day in, day out, 365 days a year, including Bank Holidays.
(We were always told to step it up a gear at Christmas and Easter, when most of the country was downing tools. An ideal time to reach out to new listeners or keep loyal listeners for longer. It’s a good tip for the commercial world too.)
Practise what I preach.
I love that part of my work, but do I do it for myself? No, if I’m honest, I do not. Not consistently anyway, because my clients come first.
So my business goal is to deliver to myself what I deliver to clients: a shiny new content calendar where I plan and write regular posts.
I am embarking on this experiment with the help of Goal Stormer, created and developed by the highly energetic and inspirational Keith Shering.
It’s a friendly little app, designed to help you and/or your friends / colleagues to set goals, build momentum and work together to achieve the things that matter to you. I’ve been dallying with it over the summer and I have high hopes that it will nudge me into doing things I’ve been avoiding for the last year. It comes with good credentials, and was a finalist in the 2014 UK Mobile and App Design Awards – along with Land Rover, Barnados and Compare The Market.
Keith’s designed it so that it helps you through every stage of a goal’s life-cycle.
From the moment you say to yourself, “Right, this time I’m going to do it” to the moment of triumph when you look back over your shoulder and say, “I did it”. Oh, and all the inconvenient moments in between when you – if you’re like me – falter, backtrack and stall completely.
Why I dare share this with you.
I heard somewhere that if I write down my goals and make them public, I’m more likely to achieve them. So here goes. Between now and forever – well, let’s say 1st January 2016, I’m going to blog every week.
(I’ve chosen 1st January because it’s designated as yet another ‘dry’ month. I hope that by then, I really will be in the flow of things. If I’m not, the ‘New Year Resolution’ vibe might give me the almighty nudge that I need.)
Why you should care.
If you and your company suffer from occasional dry spells, I’ll be sharing clever ideas on how to keep that pesky blog going, crucially in a way that will appeal to the people who matter to you and your business.
Hello to ‘Goal Set-ember’.
There’s no going back. I’ve written it now. A goal shared is, I hope, a goal stormed. Watch this space.
No, I’ll be more precise. Come back this time next week and check I’ve done what I’ve set out to do.
Thank you.
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