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Big Goals Need A Plan

Your dreams won't chase themselves

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Hi Reader,
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It’s been a while since I sent an email, but all is well here!

I have a podcast episode coming up that will delve into the details of what I've been up to, but today I wanted to share one of the things I have been putting back into practice over the past few months.

When working towards any goal, I use a tried and true process to break things down into a loop I can close. It’s one that I’ve also used with most of my clients for years. In doing my research, I found that someone had coined a term for it.

Evidently in the 80's, Alan Fine, Graham Alexander and Sir John Whitmore developed this as a coaching technique, but I guess I've been coaching myself all along.

It’s called the GROW method.

It helps me make consistent progress towards my goals, especially my marketing goals. This framework makes sure that I have a focused, actionable plan that's tailored to what I need to move forward. Plus, it being a framework gets me out of my head so that I’m not reinventing the wheel.

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Here’s how it works:

Goal

Start by choosing a specific goal you want to work on in the near future. This helps you hone in on exactly what you want to achieve so you can tailor your efforts to that focus. Whether it’s improving conversion rates or refining your content strategy, the goal must be clear and more importantly, measurable so you'll know when you're done.

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Reality

Next, explore where you currently stand. This is where you can assess where you are right now in relation to your goal. We’ll dive into any challenges, obstacles, or barriers that are preventing progress, and clarify the gap between your current situation and where you want to be. I try to keep each loop to something I can achieve in less than a month, and ideally one week, and will split up my goal at this stage as needed.

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Options

Brainstorm different ways to bridge that gap. By looking at all possible options, you can consider your available resources, time, and energy, to find the best course of action, at least for right now. When I’m working with clients, this is where I’ll offer extra guidance to help evaluate which options are likely to work best for them. If you're deciding for yourself, use whatever requirements you like to choose between your options, whether that is easiest, quickest, most aligned with your skillset, something you've done before, or something you've never done before.

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Way Forward

Define the clear, actionable steps that you’ll take within your chosen amount of time to move toward your goal. These actions should be simple, focused, and achievable, helping you build momentum and track your progress along the way. In coaching, this part helps the most with accountability, so if you're doing this solo but you have a buddy or staff member who could hold you to account, let them know what your plan is.

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While it’s not a step of the method, my fifth step, that I force myself to do before I start any action, is to make sure I put everything in my task management system of choice. Planning can give quite the happy rush, but it doesn’t get you anywhere without taking action. That’ll also help you to see these tasks in the context of the rest of your commitments, and allow you to adjust now if needed.

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This GROW method helps me to stay on track and ensure that every step I’m taking is meaningful and leads to real results. By focusing on one clear goal at a time, I gain more clarity, confidence, and the momentum needed to move forward. I also find if I stick to the process in the planning, I get much less shiny object syndrome and overwhelm along the way.

I find this works well in a continuing loop for my content, and as a one off loop for any projects, or things I’m trying that are new to me.

Try it for this week or month, setting a goal, and taking action to make it happen, adjusting where you’re overestimating what can be achieved week to week, and seeing the momentum build. How you celebrate is up to you...

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If you give this a go, I’d love to hear how or if this works for you, and the progress you make.

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