The year you actually hit your goals
I hate to admit it, but I used to suck at setting goals for the new year.
Every December, I’d write down these massive dreams for my creative agency. “Double revenue!” “Sign 20 new clients!” “Launch three new services!”
And every year, around March or April, those goals would be sitting in my drawer, collecting dust—right next to that fancy planner I bought to “get organized.”
But one year, something changed. I set what seemed like an impossible goal: grow my agency’s revenue by 30%. That wasn’t just a little bump for us—that was a serious leap that made me a little squeamish thinking about it.
But you know what? We did it. We actually hit that number.
Not because I was special. Not because I got lucky. But because I finally learned how to turn big, scary goals into something achievable. And it completely changed the way I thought about and set goals forever.
Here’s how I did it (and how you can too).
Start with the scary stuff
First, let me be clear: this isn’t about making a wish list. This is about getting real with yourself.
When I set goals for my business, I used four simple tools:
- A SWOT analysis (fancy words for “what am I good at and what do I need to improve?”)
- A responsibility (RACI) matrix (who’s doing what)
- A goal matrix (highlighting what matters most)
- Performance metrics (proof we’re not kidding ourselves)
The reason these tools worked is because they forced me to stop dreaming and start doing. The SWOT analysis showed us exactly where we were dropping the ball. The responsibility matrix ended the “I thought you were handling that…?” conversations. And monitoring performance metrics turned fuzzy hopes into clear numbers.
These same tools are what I recommend all creative founders use today. But having the tools isn’t enough—you need to put them to work.
Break goals down (like… really break them down)
That 30% growth goal I set for my agency didn’t just happen. Here’s how we broke down revenue to hit it on a yearly timeline:
- Quarter 1: Sign two new client retainers at our target rate of $20k/month
- Quarter 2: Launch our brand strategy workshop at $25k per engagement
- Quarter 3: Update our project rates based on the last 12 months of data
- Quarter 4: Create three-tiered packages for our most popular services
See how that’s less terrifying? It’s like eating an elephant—one bite at a time. (Lol—sorry for that mental image.)
The part nobody talks about
But there’s a part of goal-setting that I always found unnerving. And it wasn’t until I came to terms with it that I realized it was OK. So, to save you some time, here’s the truth: your goals will probably change. The market shifts. Life happens. That amazing hire quits. Your biggest client goes in a different direction.
And that’s okay.
The secret isn’t perfect planning—it’s staying flexible while keeping your eyes on the prize. Think less concrete sidewalk, more flowing river (thanks, Bruce Lee).
But flexibility without focus doesn’t work either. I learned this the hard way when two of our biggest retainer clients left in the same month. We had two choices: panic and abandon our goals, or adapt and keep moving forward.
And it worked out for us because our goals were specific and measurable enough that we could adjust our path without losing direction. Now, I run every goal through these four non-negotiable questions:
- Could you explain them to a 10-year-old? Because if you can’t explain it simply, you probably don’t fully understand it yourself.
- Do you have specific numbers attached to them? Vague goals produce vague results—and you can’t adapt what you can’t measure.
- Can you track progress weekly (not just yearly)? When things change, you need to know immediately if you’re tracking in the right direction.
- Do they make you a little nervous but not totally terrified? Comfort zones never made history.
If you can’t answer yes to these, you might be setting yourself up for another dusty drawer situation. But if you can, you’ve got something real to work with.
It’s your move
Look, I can’t guarantee you’ll hit every goal you set. Nobody can. But I can promise you this: aim high enough, plan smart enough, and stay flexible enough, and you’ll be shocked at what you can achieve.
I’ve seen it work—not just in my own business, but with creative founders I work with today. The ones who succeed aren’t necessarily the most talented or the best funded. They’re the ones who get serious about their goals.
Ready to make next year your best yet? Grab a piece of paper. Write down that scary goal you’ve been thinking about. Then break it down and get to work.