Happy New Year! It’s that time of the year again when we reflect on the past year and plan for the new one. Everyone does it to varying degrees. Some of us keep a mental note of a few goals to accomplish, while others create vision boards, purchase planners, break goals into various sections, and write out detailed plans. I’m always guilty of the latter. To say I have baskets full of artsy things to decorate my planner and create my vision board is an understatement. In this article, I share 7 tips to achieve your C.R.O.C.H.E.T. Goals.
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As we start thinking about the goals we want to achieve this year, remember that the RIGHT approach will give you the best success. Yes, I said it….the RIGHT approach! If you search the internet for “how to set goals,” you will find numerous approaches shared by different individuals. The reason behind this is that not every person is the same. What works for one person may not be suitable for another. Some people may find a simple approach too easy, while others may feel overwhelmed by a more complex one.
If you’re wondering which approach to choose, don’t worry! The answer is simple – choose the one that you’ll commit to! After all, the whole point of setting goals is to achieve them, right? So, find the method that works for you and your personality.
In the last 30 years, I have had many ups and downs while pursuing my goals. However, I have gained valuable insights during this journey, which I would like to share with you in a fun and relatable acronym. I call them C.R.O.C.H.E.T. Goals!
If you’re a crochet designer running your own micro business, I want to remind you how important it is to set goals and track your progress. Without clear goals, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. By setting specific goals, you can focus your efforts, streamline your activities, and develop effective strategies that work for you. Plus, it’s a great way to keep track of your progress and make any necessary adjustments to your business plan along the way.
Implementing these 7 aspects of C.R.O.C.H.E.T. goal setting can help you create an effective plan and have a successful business year!
Challenging
Setting challenging goals is essential for a successful business year. It helps you grow, develop, and become more innovative and committed. Challenging goals require more effort, but they help you tap into your hidden potential, develop new skills, and handle challenges confidently. It’s hard work, but the rewards are worth it.
Relevant
Setting specific goals relevant to your business model will be a game-changer this year. Consider factors like target audience, product or service, and revenue streams. With a clear understanding of your business model, set goals that align with your overall strategy. For instance, if you sell crochet patterns online, increase website traffic, improve conversion rates, and design more patterns. If you provide services, enhance brand awareness, build partnerships, and improve customer satisfaction. Relevant goals will keep you focused and motivated towards achieving long-term success. If you don’t have a business model and business plan established, that should be the 1st goal you achieve.
Obtainable
Make your dreams BIG but make your goals obtainable. Break that big dream into realistic steps you can take to get there. By doing so, you’ll be able to stay motivated, feel accomplished, and track your progress. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your crochet dreams. However, if you keep working on obtaining those smaller goals, you’ll be able to build the crochet colosseum of your dreams!
Changeable
Change can be so uncomfortable, but embracing it is key to growth in your crochet business. Allowing your goals to change as circumstances and life happen doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re mature. When setting goals, remember that your goals may need to adapt and change as opportunities arise or the priorities of life take place. To help me better deal with inevitable changes that happen in business and life, I set quarterly goals instead of year-long goals. This might be a practice you can adopt this year.
Habit Forming
Creating goals that become habits is powerful for business growth. Habits provide structure and consistency. Focus on habits that support your goals to establish a routine and self-discipline. Small, repeated actions over time lead to substantial growth and lasting change.
Evidence
Setting goals without tracking your progress is like trying to lose weight without counting your calories. It’s futile. As a business person, you need to see evidence of what’s working and what’s not working. There’s no right or wrong way to track your goals. Do what works for you. Just make sure you’re seeing evidence of your progress. Have weekly/monthly/quarterly check-ins with yourself and be honest about how things are going.
Timed
Your goals should have an expiration date. Setting a time (date) that each goal should be completed will create a sense of urgency and will hold you accountable for completing them. Deadlines can be a powerful motivator that can drive you toward success.
Examples of C.R.O.C.H.E.T. Goals
Goal: “I’m going to increase pattern sales”
Challenging: “I’m going to design one pattern each month and learn marketing strategies that will attract my ideal customer.”
Relevant: “I want to increase sales to bring in $XXXX a month to help with household expenses.”
Obtainable: “I’ll take a marketing class offered at my local technical college.”
Changeable: “If classes are not available at the local college, I’ll go to my local library, borrow and read 3 different books on business marketing.”
Habit Forming: “I’ll crochet every day and create at least X number of Pinterest pins to market my pattern.”
Evidence: “I will download Sweet Bird Crochet’s Ultimate Goal Setting Guide and use the action plan and check-in pages to track my goal progress.”
Timed: “I will call my local technical college by __(date)__. If no classes are available, I will go to the library by __(date)__.”
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Have you set your C.R.O.C.H.E.T. Goals? Share them with me in the comments below. Make sure to share this article with your crochet friends too!