goal setting

Why you need BHAGs

Why you need BHAGs

Have you ever heard of a BHAG?

(pronounced bee-hag)

According to Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, who coined the phrase, it stands for "Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal"

It can be defined as follows:

"It’s a goal that has a clear finish line so you know when you have achieved the goal. And it’s one that you have a 50 percent to 70 percent chance of achieving. It’s not something so outlandish that it’s highly unlikely that you will ever achieve it, but it’s definitely something you’ll have to stretch yourself to make happen" (Rachel Rodgers).

Although BHAGs have many benefits

Such as:

Why this simple question will get you anything you want in life

Why this simple question will get you anything you want in life

When I was a toddler, my mum says that I was mesmerised by the fireplace

So much so that I wouldn't heed her warnings not to go near it

One day, exasperated with this constant song and dance, she allowed me to touch the rail that guarded it

According to her, not only did I immediately pull my hand back from the heat, I never tried to get close to the fireplace again

In other words, this (newfound) fear protected me and kept me safe

Here’s my point 👇🏾

How to find your why and achieve your PR goals

How to find your why and achieve your PR goals

Last week we talked about the fact that despite what we’re commonly told, simply setting your goals or having a clear vision for what you want for 2024 isn’t enough to keep you on track

Remember that,? If not, will you check that post out here?

Which is why as you set your goals or create that vision board, it's important to consider the why behind every goal

Not sure how?

The 5 WHYS Technique is one of my favourite journaling prompts because it has helped me and my clients stay consistent and accountable with achieving our goals - even when motivation runs a little dry

So, whether you want to start or grow your business, get PR success, or travel the world - the 5 WHYS technique can help you identify the core reason behind your aspirations. What’s great is that it’s super simple. Just grab a pen and notebook and ask yourself why you want to achieve a particular goal. Ask yourself this question 5 times to get to the core why.

Here's an example of how that works in practice...

Goal setting? Don't forget this key step for PR success

Goal setting? Don't forget this key step for PR success

We’re only 21 days from 2024, and IT’S TIMMMMMMME (in my Mariah Carey voice) to set our goals for the brand-new year.

Reflecting on 2023 and the goals I’d set for myself, I know there’s one thing that kept me going regardless of the challenges life threw at me along the way.

So, if you are currently setting life, business or PR goals, here's the key to helping you to accomplish them:

3 PR goal-setting mistakes (and how to avoid them)

3 PR goal-setting mistakes (and how to avoid them)

One of my favourite things to do during the Christmas period is binge watch Christmas movies like Elf, Home Alone, The Grinch (Jim Carey's version, of course), Love Actually and Mean Girls

If you frowned in confusion at the mention of Mean Girls, you clearly don't remember the iconic talent show scene

If you've never seen it before (or simply not as recently as me) it's basically a comedy about a girl called Cady who tries to sabotage the most popular girl in school, Regina George

Because needless to say Regina's really not very nice

One of the many plans that Cady hatches to take Regina down (with a little help from her friends) is giving her these "protein bars" that actually make people gain weight while telling Regina that it does the opposite. And, as you can see from the gif below, she succeeds

How to set PR goals

How to set PR goals

About 5 years ago me and my (then) best friend spent a week or so in France

Mainly in Paris

One day we decided to take a day trip to Calais that almost ended in disaster

We had spent a lovely day at an art exhibition and exploring the city a bit before we finally made our way back to the station

As soon as we arrived we looked at the board and could see our train; then, about 5 minutes later, we noticed that it started flashing

Not knowing what this meant and also concerned that none of the others were flashing...

We finally decided to ask one of the station employees what this meant

The issue was that, unlike in Paris, most of the people in Calais didn't speak English

The train guard spoke very little English; so called over 2 of his colleagues

Between our broken French, their broken English and a lot of pointing to our tickets and the board, we were finally able to get them to understand that we wanted to go back to Paris but the train that we wanted was flashing and we needed to know why?

"Aaah," the original guy answered, "c'est supprimer!"

Me and my friend looked at each then back at him in confusion

"Supprimer?" We asked in unison

"oui, c'est supprimer" he repeated again

Sensing that we didn't understand, he turned to his 2 companions to see if they knew the English equivalent to "supprimer". One of them thought for a second and then said "cancelled". "Cancelled?!" We echoed aghast. "Oui, cancelled". He asserted again

I about passed out with visions of us being stranded in Calais. We were counting on that train to connect us to another. If we missed that one, how would we get back to Paris? We didn't have enough money for a hotel in Calais...

My spiral of panic was then interrupted by the guards pointing to the board and then to the map to show us another route that we could take back to Paris

We remained nervous about getting kicked off the train for being on the wrong route throughout the journey but, lo and behold, their instructions came in very handy and we didn't have to sleep in the street in a strange city where we didn't know the language.

Knowing where you want to go but not knowing how to get there has to be one of the most frustrating things ever! This is something that I remember feeling at the beginning of my content marketing journey as well

You see...

Why goals are important for PR Success

Why goals are important for PR Success

On Christmas eve I got hit by a car

Luckily I was okay and the only sign that anything even happened is this scar on my elbow

But the fact that he made enough impact to make me roll onto the hood and then onto the floor makes me truly thankful that it wasn't any worse

Because, as one of the witnesses said afterwards, I "could have ended the night on a stretcher" and- if not for God's favour and protection- who's to say whether that would have been because of a broken bone or fatality?

See, what had happened prior to that was....

Why you shouldn't wait till January 1st to strategise

Why you shouldn't wait till January 1st to strategise

Towards the end of last month I had the pleasure of spending the weekend away at a spa. Not only did I take advantage of the amenities with a pedicure, massage, facial and great meals- I slept, I rested, I prayed and I journaled.

When it came to thinking about my business, I asked myself 3 simple questions and journaled my responses. These were: