How to Set Attainable Brand Goals and Objectives

At the begin­ning of the year, there is lots of talk about goals, res­o­lu­tions, and start­ing off the year strong. And it cer­tain­ly makes sense, a fresh cal­en­dar offers the chance for a fresh start. But for many of us, goal-set­ting for our brands is incred­i­bly over­whelm­ing. Let’s be hon­est, the prospect of plan­ning for the year is anx­i­ety provoking! 

• Where do I start?

• How do I decide what matters?

• How do I devel­op a strat­e­gy I can actu­al­ly stick to?

If the idea of goal set­ting has you sweat­ing, this blog is for you! We can help you iden­ti­fy and set attain­able goals for your brand with a few sim­ple tips. 

How to Set Attainable Brand Goals and Objectives

Cre­at­ing goals will give you a clear road map of where to focus your efforts. It’s so easy for us to want to pur­sue sev­er­al things that excite us. How­ev­er, with­out the focus, you won’t reach your goals as fast as you intend — which leads to dis­ap­point­ment. Here is how to set attain­able goals for your brand: 

1. Brainstorm a list of goals.

Ded­i­cate time to write your list and don’t hold back! This is a brain­storm­ing ses­sion, so real­ly let your ideas flow. Give your­self at least 20–30 min­utes of unin­ter­rupt­ed time to do this.

2. Define the budget and timeline. 

Before you break down your larg­er list and start pri­or­i­tiz­ing goals, con­sid­er your bud­get and time­line. This will help you eval­u­ate your goals with a clear head and set real­is­tic expectations.

3. Prioritize the level of importance. 

Take a look at all you want to accom­plish. Even though this process will feel over­whelm­ing, it’s impor­tant to ana­lyze the list to see what is real­is­tic and what isn’t nec­es­sary. As you go down the list, ask your­self these questions:

• Will this help my career/business?
• How does this fit into my defined bud­get and timeline? 
• Do I need this to land a new client?
• Is this real­ly nec­es­sary to do? Or will it waste my time?
• Can this task be bro­ken down?
• Do I need to hire help to accom­plish this task?
• Is this a fun project that won’t ful­fill me?
• How long will this take?

It is vital to be as hon­est as pos­si­ble at this stage. You want to elim­i­nate goals that aren’t serv­ing your busi­ness, aren’t real­is­tic, and aren’t a pri­or­i­ty for you right now. 

4. Embrace saying no. 

When you say “no” to the tasks that take you away from your vision, you

will start to see changes in your pro­duc­tiv­i­ty. Remem­ber that if you don’t take charge of what you want to accom­plish, no one else will. Mark through any­thing on your list that you will not do because it will take you away from your vision.

Here are some ideas:

• Uncle John­ny’s logo for his home tiki bar (it’s a fun project, but it does­n’t pay)

• One-day rush jobs

• Work­ing with clients that refuse to sign your contract

• Work­ing on week­ends with­out compensation.

5. Label your goals. 

Now that you have ana­lyzed your list and kept the most impor­tant items, start to label your items. Cre­ate two types of labels: lev­el of impor­tance and type of task.

For instance, the task of updat­ing your web­site could be labeled as:

• Impor­tant (com­plete in a month)

• Clas­si­fy as Marketing

When you label your tasks with a time­line, you are able to see what you have on your plate and it’s eas­i­er to come up with a plan of action. Clas­si­fy­ing your tasks helps you see what you are spend­ing the most effort on. It can help you see where you need more focus. 

6. Set a realistic plan of action. 

Refer back to your time­line labels and cre­ate a plan of action for the next 90 days. We know it might be tempt­ing to plan for the next year or even longer, but set­ting small goals will keep you focused. It becomes less over­whelm­ing that way, and you are bound to make more progress.

7. Review your progress. 

After 90 days, review your progress. If you don’t meet a goal: 

• Avoid mul­ti­task­ing to stay focused

• Assess what you can do better

• Nar­row down your goals

• Ask for help

With all that in mind, cre­ate anoth­er 90-day plan of action and get back to it! 

If you are look­ing for even more help with goal set­ting, pro­mot­ing your work, and stand­ing out in a com­pet­i­tive mar­ket, be sure to check out my LinkedIn Learn­ing course Define Your Cre­ative Edge.

If you are look­ing for even more help with goal set­ting, pro­mot­ing your work, and stand­ing out in a com­pet­i­tive mar­ket, be sure to check out my LinkedIn Learn­ing course Define Your Cre­ative Edge.

You will learn pow­er­ful tools and prac­tices that can help you devel­op a brand true to you and grow a com­mu­ni­ty that con­verts to clients. 

Got ques­tions about brand goal set­ting? Share them in the comments!