Goal setting is an important part of being a successful teacherpreneur. Today we are going to dive into some goal setting strategies. We are continuing the conversation in our Mastermind group. Head over there to share what works for you and hear what others are saying: www.growwithusmastermind.com.
Summer is right around the corner? Do you have your countdowns up and running? That makes this the perfect time to retouch on the importance of goal setting. Using the right strategy can help you to utilize your summer break wisely and plan for our busiest time of year as teacher sellers–back to school.
Angie and I are getting good at goal setting, but like everyone we can struggle with the follow through. That’s why we were excited to bring Kayse Morris from Teaching on Less on the podcast.
Who is Kayse Morris?
Kayse Morris is a woman on fire. She built a successful TpT store called Teaching on Less and now also focuses on teaching new teacher sellers how to succeed.
Kayse was planning on working as an elementary teacher but when she was searching for a job during the recession she ended up taking a middle school position. When she started her store back in 2013 she was still working as a middle school teacher but her heart and passion was still with the little ones. So, she originally started with middle school resources and quickly transitioned into focusing on K-2.
Her store is known for selling historical figures and mini historic units to use throughout the year as well as interactive notebooks. She has done a great job of finding her niche in the TpT world.
What does goal setting look like for Kayse?
Kayse admitted that when she started out goal setting it was as simple as writing out a list of tasks that needed to be done for the day. If she didn’t get around to them, she would move them over to the next week.
However, she has since learned that she is a skilled goal setter and has goals lined up for the next month, 6 months, year, 3 years, 5 years, and so on all the way until she’s 80 years old! Her goal setting skills have helped her with growing her business as well as her family life and health.
So, let’s dive into some of the questions questions and topics that we covered with Kayse.
Using a vision board
Kayse keeps her vision board in her office where it will catch her eye when she sits back in her chair and dreams. It includes the things that she wants to accomplish to live a fulfilled life. It has everything on it from owning chickens in her backyard to owning a beach house and being a New York Times bestseller.
One of the biggest things that has helped Kayse work towards her goal has been shifting her mindset. She used to think “if” this happens or “if” that happens. Now she tells herself “when” this happens and “when” that happens. She knows that she will accomplish everything that’s on her board. But, in order to do it she needs to be able to set goals and work the plan.
How do you prevent the overwhelm that comes with lofty goals?
I admit that when I work towards big goals it’s easy to get overwhelmed by them. And, I just love the way Kayse described how she handles this feeling. First, she starts by thinking of them as just “goals”. She doesn’t label them “huge goals”. This simple mindset shift can help them to feel more manageable.
Next, she thinks of all her goals as a runway and at the end of the runway where the plan launches is where her goal happens. She breaks each goal into small steps and each of these steps is a piece of the runway. When she accomplishes one of the small goals she celebrates the same was she does for when she’s complete. This helps her to focus on the fact that she’s constantly moving closer to her goal.
Overcoming the fear of failure
The stressful part of launching is not knowing if it’s going to work. It’s scary to think that you might spend a month, two months, or six months on creating resources that could flop. One of the best ways to overcome this fear actually takes place before you start working on your resource.
Survey your audience. Find out what they need. When you know what they need you can become a problem solver for them. Then you can relax knowing that your resources will do well because you are giving your people what they asked for.
How much time do you dedicate to your goal each week
Kayse’s life revolves around her goals. She has created a way for herself to enjoy work that she is passionate about. She spends 35 weeks in the office. There is a different focus for each day of the week. For example, the day we spoke with her she also was one a few other podcasts. Then there are days she’s working on her email campaigns or on group coaching sessions or doing Facebook live.
You may not be able to devote 35 hours a week to your business, especially if you’re still in the classroom, and that’s perfectly okay. What you can take from Kayse is that she has structured her work time around the tasks that need to be done to help her reach her goals. She isn’t just sitting in her office scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest. She’s spending her time on tasks that will help her reach her goals.
What if you don’t meet your goals for the week?
Kayse is an advanced goal setter. She knows how long tasks take her and is realistic when creating her schedule. She also doesn’t put things on her calendar if she isn’t going to get them done. In fact, her schedule is pretty much mapped out for more than the next quarter. That means she knows when things are due and she doesn’t leave herself room for a workaround.
But, if you are struggling in this area she has advice for you. If you don’t get a task done then move it to the next week. But, remember that sometimes we don’t accomplish goals simply because we don’t want to do the task.
If you are delaying in doing something, quit moving it to the next week. Instead, make it the first thing you work on. When you tackle the things you don’t want to do first it helps you get through your other work faster too because you don’t have that task you’re dreading in the back of your mind.
Angie has her own take on this strategy that she uses. She has a “Must Do” and “May Do” list. When she finishes her “Must Do” list she’s able to work on the “May Do” list, which are things she wants to do and enjoys.
How do you measure your success at goals that aren’t data driven?
Kayse is all about loving what she does. Her focus is no longer on a monetary number. She’s focused on helping the most amount of people that she can.
See if you can relate to this, Kayse used to check the TpT app every day, sometimes hourly. If she wasn’t hearing that “cha ching” she would begin to get stressed out. She identified that this was creating a culture of fear within her. This fear was the thing driving her business and it made her less successful.
When she stopped focusing so much on the numbers and started focusing on the people and doing what she loves things worked much better. You can run your business from a place of fear or a place of passion.
What tools do you use for goal setting?
There are four tools that Kayse uses for her goal setting and planning:
- Erin Condren planner – She gets a new one ever year
- Google calendar – Her calendar is color coded so she can keep her tasks organized
- Asana– Allows you to list out projects and easily map out goals. It’s free!
- Spreadsheets – When she really needs to see something all laid out she turns to good ol’ spreadsheets
Time to set your own goals
There you have it, goal setting tips from a master planner. Now, hop over to our Mastermind group and let us know what you think. What are you going to try? What works for you? And, what goals are you setting for the summer?
