WHAT I’M WEARING
Sweater | Skirt | OTK Boots (on major sale!) | Crossbody

This morning I attended Tuedays Together, a monthly event here in Raleigh targeted at local creatives. Carrie Grace, a motivational speaker, was the featured speaker who talked about goal setting & vision casting.

To be honest, I don’t set goals. I do, kind of, in my head.. but I never write down goals & take actionable steps towards them. It’s crazy, I know, but I’ve always been one to just.. keep a running to-do list, however big or small, in my head. So, I left Tuesdays Together this morning feeling inspired (as I do every time I attend one of their events!). Carrie made so many great points & I even found myself jotting down some SMART goals as she presented (aka Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based).

Below were my biggest takeaways from the event. Also, if you are a creative living in Raleigh &/or want to connect with this community, I highly recommend attending one of these free events. The next one is February 11 from 1-3 PM at Dove & Olive in Five Points & will feature a financial planner to talk MONEY.

BIG VS. SMALL GOALS

Carrie mapped out an equation for determining your goals:

BLANK * BLANK = X or $

As soon as I heard that, I thought about this blog & taking on monetary collaborations. For example, if I set a goal for my blog to bring in $10,000 in 2020, I will need to secure 10 collaborations at $1,000 each. Thinking of the end goal can be intimidating but, when I break it down & realize I only need to secure 1-2 collaborations each month, it doesn’t seem so bad.

SHARE YOUR GOALS

As in, keep yourself accountable! Share your goals with a friend over coffee. Tell your Mom. Type them out for the world to read in a blog post. That way, they are concrete & if your friend/Mom/readers do check-in, it keeps you accountable to keep working towards them.

SHOW UP & SPEAK UP

Show up to those events that you’d rather skip. Speak up to that stranger who asks you who you are & what you do. Scan your LinkedIn & reach out to a potential connection. Send that DM on Instagram. Step out of your comfort zone & leverage those connections & relationships.

GO THE EXTRA MILE

I loved Carrie’s analogy for this. “It’s not hard to start the race.. it’s hard to finish it.” So, always go the extra mile & try to finish what you started. You may run into roadblocks or have to take a different path but crossing the finish line (eventually) makes it all worth it.

GRATITUDE IS EVERYTHING

“Say thank you to those who help you get closer to your goal.” We do live in a world where we want it all & what we want it right now. If we don’t get it, we pout. Change your mentality so that you are grateful & thankful even if something doesn’t work out. If your email is ignored, or a blog collaboration falls through.. be thankful you took the chance & had the opportunity.

Do you set goals? I am inspired to after today. I’ll be taking all of Carrie’s points to heart & I hope you found these tips helpful! You can shop my look below.

Images by Glory Roze Photography.