The 2-month goal list: a personal epiphany

Posted February 9th, 2012 / By Jimmy in Misc

February is here and already most everyone’s well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside like a used hamburger wrapper – all crinkled up and never to be thought of again (or at least not for the next 11 months). Historically, my resolutions have suffered similarly quick and painful demises. Recently, however, I had a personal epiphany that holds promise in reversing this pattern and yielding positive results multiple times throughout 2012 and beyond.

And I stumbled upon this thought purely by accident.

Now, please understand that this idea is certainly not new or novel (i.e. Stephen Covey, no need to worry about being replaced on the bestseller list). But for me, a self-diagnosed sufferer of Attention Deficit Disorder (forget the Hyperactive part), this “light bulb” thought resonated strongly. I’ll cut to the chase and share its essence:

Create actionable and measurable goals for the next 2 months, as opposed to daily/weekly or year-long goals.

I know what you’re thinking – this is so elementary an idea it’s almost laughable. Admittedly, this may not be for everyone but for me it was the Goldilocks moment. For goal-setting periods, it dawned on me that a whole year is “too long”, one week is “too short”, but 2 months seemed “just right”. By setting goals in 2-month increments, I get to measure performance six times during the course of a year and the time frame lends itself naturally to goals that are highly actionable. I am liberated from the pressure to perform day-to-day but, at the same time, don’t have to wait too long to see how I’m doing. If I don’t like the results after the first 2-month goal period, I can re-set and move on to the next 2-month window.

The unplanned catalyst for my “2-Month Goal List” was the booking of flights for my family’s upcoming spring break (with an April 2 departure). This led to thoughts on what I wanted to accomplish before vacation, which coincidentally was 2 months in the future. I have about 8 goals on my list, but I’ll only share a few here for illustration:

Goal 1

Lose 10 pounds. Egads, I don’t want to be mistaken for a beached whale on the beach and will need to fit comfortably in my soon-to-be-ordered Winky Boo board shorts. Losing 5 pounds a month seems reasonable and achievable in a healthy fashion.

Goal 2

Accomplish Projects A, B and C at work. In case you didn’t notice, project names have been changed to protect the innocent. Many of us pursue our entrepreneurial endeavors outside our daytime jobs and it’s important to keep the fires burning there as well. I have three projects that I am currently working on that I plan to deliver successfully by April 2.

Goal 3

Print 2 more shirts at Mutated Tees. Another measurable goal that I will strive to achieve. As a business bootstrapper, I am building my product offering one shirt at a time, only going to print when I break even on the previous one. I sold two shirts tonight so I am cautiously optimistic!

Like I stated earlier, this approach may not work for everyone, but if sharing this is helpful to you in any way, I am happy. Good luck selling.

Jimmy Strong is the founder of MutatedTees.com, an online t-shirt store. His interests include social media, photography and jazz. He lives in St. Paul, MN with his wife, two children and 5 pound morkie. Follow him on Twitter at @TshirtJimmy and like his Facebook page.

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