Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, Veterinarian, Mentor, Wellness & Success Coach
November 12, 2019
Isa Peraza-Martinez, ASPCA Community Cats Outreach Manager
November 19, 2019
When I first started the Community Cats Podcast, I had big dreams of being able to provide tip sheets every week on all parts of taking care of community cats. I had big dreams and high goals. Yes, I said goals. I have hit some of the goals that I set when I was first starting out on the podcast, like reaching over 300 episodes and running online educational programs. But there are many other goals I had in mind that I haven’t gotten to yet. I sometimes find myself asking: Is setting goals worthwhile? Ultimately, I would say yes—and here’s why:
Goals are Clear
When you are working with a group of people, is great to have yearly goals to work toward. Animal welfare can be such an incredibly stressful environment and it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you just aren’t getting anywhere. But with measurable goals, you will see the changes and improvements needed.
Goals Hold You Accountable
Goals keep everyone accountable. With a specific listing of a group’s determined goals, everyone can see what their role will be and how much of a commitment they need to make heading into each year.
Goals are Time Sensitive
Goals are set to be achieved in a certain time frame. If you reach your goals that is great, but if not, the timetable can be readjusted and the team working on the goal can re-evaluate and make changes in order to hit the goal the next time around.
So when should you set your yearly goals? Now! November is a great time to think ahead to the next year and think about what your goals might be. They can be about fundraising a certain number of dollars, assisting a certain number of cats, assisting a certain number of owned cats (my personal favorite), or about creating or closing programs. Goals can be really anything, but having them will really help focus your organization to be successful going forward.
I hope these tips are helpful. Many of the ideas above were drawn from the idea of S.M.A.R.T. goals. You can read more about S.M.A.R.T. goals and download a free worksheet at the Smartsheet website. I suggest you get started setting your goals right away before we get super busy around the holidays!
